Artificial intelligence is becoming a bigger concern in the US. Lawmakers from both – Democratic and Republican – parties now agree that AI needs some rules but they don't know what those rules should be.
US House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the top Republican and Democrat in the House, said on Sunday that Congress needs to address the risks linked to AI, according to The NY Times.
Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, warned against moving too quickly. Speaking to NBC's "Meet the Press", he said Congress must be careful not to introduce rules that could hurt American AI companies and give Chinese companies an advantage.
"We're not going to rush in and pass a piece of legislation that would do harm to the country and put China at an edge," Johnson said, adding lawmakers need to first understand the issue and work with AI companies before deciding what rules should be introduced.
Jeffries, a Democrat from New York, accused Johnson of moving too slowly. Speaking to ABC's "This Week", he said the House should take decisive action on AI.
Asked what specific restrictions he would support, Jeffries did not give details. He said lawmakers would begin discussing the issue when Congress returns to Washington this week.
The timing could make it difficult for Congress to pass a major AI law soon. The House is scheduled to return on Monday for what is expected to be its final week in session before the November midterm elections. This means lawmakers have very little time to agree on a major AI law.
This comes as more people in the tech industry have started warning about the risks of AI.
Jacob Coxon, a researcher at Anthropic, resigned last Tuesday. He said on social media that he did not believe leading AI companies were developing the technology responsibly. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei also called for AI companies to slow down their work.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Google Deepmind CEO Demis Hassabis also supported the idea of slowing down AI development. Former President Barack Obama asked Democrats last week to develop clear positions on AI. He said they need to explain how they would deal with the risks AI could create for safety and the economy.
Kevin Hassett, director of the White House National Economic Council, said the administration was studying proposals being discussed in Congress. One proposal is for a "kill switch". It would allow the government to order a dangerous AI model to be shut down.
Hassett also said AI has developed so quickly that it could weaken existing cybersecurity protections. However, Johnson said too many rules could hurt American companies and help Chinese AI firms.
Trump said the US is currently ahead of China in AI. "Whoever wins with AI, wins," he said. He also criticised people who are pushing for more AI rules. He called them "negative forces" and said some of the dangers being discussed may never happen.
