Speaker Johnson says Congress won't lead the charge on regulating AI safety and AI companies should take responsibility to ensure the safety of their products (Donica Phifer/Axios)

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) declared on Sunday that Congress would not pioneer the effort to regulate AI safety. The calls for AI companies to adopt safety protocols surged this week, leading the four major AI labs to agree on slowing their models' development. Johnson was urged to end the House recess and bring representatives back to Washington to pass a law on AI safeguards.

During a Sunday appearance on CNN's "State of the Union," Johnson argued that Congress intervening is not the solution and that AI companies can cease their work at any moment. "We have to resist Congress jumping in and imposing some sort of emergency moratorium," Johnson said, emphasizing that the approach must be safe and wise.

Johnson cautioned against halting all AI development due to national security concerns, suggesting a meeting between President Trump, Congress members, and top AI officials to address the issue. Johnson proposed that AI company leaders should take responsibility for ensuring the safety of their products, rather than pushing for government intervention.

He reiterated that companies have a corporate responsibility to ensure product safety, and they are the ones pushing the boundaries. Johnson stressed that companies must work together on safety measures, as there is no consensus among them.

CNN's Jake Tapper noted that several AI leaders agreed with a 3,800-word Anthropic's Dario Amodei essay, which proposed slowing AI development and implementing more safety measures. Johnson seemed doubtful, pointing out that the companies have different ideas on what the guardrails should be. He also advised Americans not to panic over the technology and the doomsday warnings, while acknowledging that rank-and-file members of Congress are urging action.

Johnson concluded by saying that handling this new technology like past ones is necessary, ensuring responsible innovation without stifling American progress.