Congress gripped by AI panic after doomsday warnings
Anthropic insiders' warnings this week that AI could end humanity in the next decade have members of Congress frantically seeking answers and trying to cobble together some kind of response. Why it matters: Federal lawmakers are at the "concepts of a plan" stage at this point, with congressional leaders showing little apparent urgency to mobilize. Some rank-and-file members in both parties say…
Recent warnings from former Anthropic researchers have Congress scrambling to understand the potential risks of artificial intelligence. Dozens of lawmakers, primarily Democrats, are calling for urgent action and proposing various legislative responses. Some propose a human-activated kill switch for AI systems, while others call for a ban on superintelligence.
Rep. Ted Lieu is pushing a bipartisan bill requiring AI developers to build a kill switch, and Sen. Bernie Sanders plans to introduce legislation to pause advanced AI. Others, like Rep. Nathaniel Moran, argue for a cautious approach. Senate Democrats are also considering a special AI Select Committee to address the issue. However, House Republican leaders have shown little interest in addressing the matter, and the current legislative session is set to conclude soon.
Democrats are divided on how to respond, with some urging immediate action and others arguing for a more deliberate approach.
Written by urgent.news from Axios's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
