{
  "id": 7368410,
  "title": "US senators weigh requiring AI giants to commit to preventing catastrophe",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/us-senators-weigh-requiring-ai-giants-to-commit-to-preventing-7368410",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-14T17:07:49.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "CNA - Business",
    "slug": "cna-business",
    "url": "https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/us-senators-weigh-requiring-ai-giants-commit-preventing-catastrophe-6384111"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The U.S. Senate is deliberating legislation that would obligate AI corporations to exhibit they are taking appropriate measures to avert potential harm from their technologies, according to a Senate insider and a lobbyist acquainted with the deliberations. Worries about the possible dangers posed by AI escalated last week following Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon's resignation, partly due to the belief among AI developers that the technology could lead to human extinction by the end of the decade. AI-linked shares had a decline globally on Monday after leaders of some of the industry's biggest firms advocated for a slower pace of AI development. The senators are contemplating granting the U.S. Commerce Secretary the authority to request evidence that AI developers are implementing reasonable safeguards to prevent harm, referred to as a \"duty of care.\" The Commerce Secretary would also possess the power to deploy government auditors to examine companies' products directly. It remains unclear what would constitute \"reasonable\" measures. The legislation is still under debate, and even if Congress approves the measure, it faces slim chances of becoming law. U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on Monday that current authorities already offer sufficient tools to regulate and prosecute tech companies, indicating he would not sign a bill establishing new rules for AI. The proposal is being discussed by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, and Senator Amy Klobuchar, the top Democrat participating in the negotiations. Klobuchar expressed her ongoing efforts to attain bipartisan consensus on legislation for government oversight of AI's most significant risks, including requiring developers to collaborate with government experts to verify and test models to ensure AI safety. Cruz's Senate committee oversees the U.S. Commerce Department, which is responsible for in-house AI safety researchers. Senator Maria Cantwell, the top Democrat on the Commerce Committee, has also commented on the legislation. Reuters reported on Friday that negotiators are discussing the inclusion of federal courts if the U.S. government intends to prohibit the release of certain AI models deemed unsafe. Companies would have the ability to contest that decision in federal court, and the precise scope of the U.S. government's authority is still under discussion. Part of the measure involving federal courts would also restrict states from enforcing their own regulations on specific AI-related risks, according to another lobbyist and a Senate insider. The leading U.S. companies with advanced AI models are Anthropic and OpenAI.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "US senators weigh requiring AI giants to commit to preventing catastrophe",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/us-senators-weigh-requiring-ai-giants-to-commit-to-preventing",
        "published": "2026-09-14T17:07:49.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}