Jeffries says Congress should 'act urgently' on AI safeguards

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has urged lawmakers to take immediate action on the growing threat of artificial intelligence (AI), according to a recent interview on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos.” In a statement, Jeffries emphasized the urgent need to address the challenges posed by AI, stating that decisive action is required to protect American citizens and ensure safe development of the technology.

Jeffries’ remarks were prompted by warnings from former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon, who expressed grave concerns about the potential dangers of AI development. Coxon warned on X, "The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade."

The Democratic caucus is planning to meet on Tuesday, with high priority placed on AI action, as Jeffries highlighted. The leader dismissed President Trump’s promises of a $5,000 payment to Americans if Republicans win the upcoming midterm elections, criticizing the proposal as not serious. Jeffries also challenged Trump’s claims about voter preferences and the state of the nation, suggesting that the true issues facing Americans are on the ballot, such as the economy, inflation, and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

In response to a question about his ability to become Speaker of the House if his party wins, Jeffries emphasized that the current focus is on regaining control of the House. He promised to address issues such as lowering the cost of living, improving healthcare, and holding those in power accountable, starting from day one of a Democratic administration.