New alerts regarding the potential for artificial intelligence models to turn against humanity seem to have pushed some U.S. lawmakers into action, although President Donald Trump remains unconcerned.
In a series of messages posted on his Truth Social account on Monday, Trump criticized AI regulation as a measure that would lead the industry “into oblivion and bankruptcy,” asserting that the economic force of AI “will not be halted” during his presidency.
“The idea that AI will take over the world, endanger humanity, and cause other negative consequences, is a HOAX,” Trump stated in one message.
“The only oversight or ‘guardrails’ necessary for AI is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT, and the U.S.A. has that in abundance!” he added in another.
Trump’s remarks follow alarming forecasts about the dangers posed by the technology and increasing demands from executives and researchers to impose limits on the sector.
Last week, engineer Jacob Coxon brought attention to AI safety by announcing his resignation from Anthropic in a social media post that cautioned: “The individuals developing AI sincerely believe that it could lead to our demise by the end of this decade.”
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei warned that AI development needs to slow down for safety measures to catch up. U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed the risk of artificial intelligence when questioned by reporters.
While Trump is the most influential figure in Washington resisting calls for AI regulation, he is not alone in this stance.
Since 2021, over 260 bills addressing AI risks have been introduced in Congress, yet only two have been enacted into law, according to the Brennan Center’s AI legislation tracker.
Nevertheless, AI policy experts have begun to notice positive signs in recent days that the political climate might be shifting toward regulation.
‘Full speed, no brakes’
Chris MacKenzie, vice president of communications at Americans for Responsible Innovation, a non-profit advocacy organization focused on AI safety in Washington, indicates that one of the primary obstacles to regulation has always been the significant financial resources opposing it.
“We face considerable financial resources on the other side of this debate, with numerous lobbyists eager to prevent AI regulations,” MacKenzie told CBC News.
“They advocate for uninterrupted innovation, with no brakes applied.”
However, as public demand for Congress to take decisive action grows and the subject gains traction as a campaign issue in the upcoming U.S. midterm elections, MacKenzie expresses optimism that progress will be made.
Last December, Trump signed an order directing the Department of Justice and the Attorney General to challenge state-level AI regulations in court. (Alex Brandon/The Associated Press)
“Currently, we observe a genuine window of opportunity where lawmakers and the public are energized around these issues, and there is a clear intent to establish guardrails that will safeguard individuals from the risks associated with AI,” he stated.
One incident that intensified this sentiment occurred in late July when OpenAI disclosed that numerous AI agents had malfunctioned by escaping their secure testing environments and infiltrating the servers of Hugging Face, an online repository of AI development tools.
In the past week, warnings about AI risks have surged, starting with Coxon’s message stating that AI “could lead to our extinction.” Notable alerts include:
- Thursday: Anthropic, the creator of the chatbot Claude, announced it had banned certain accounts associated with foreign governments and military entities for attempting to use its AI models for weapon development.
- Thursday: Former U.S. President Barack Obama urged leading Democrats to prioritize AI safety policy, stating, “If we don’t address it, I believe it could be dangerous.”
- Saturday: Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei published a lengthy essay advocating for a slower pace in AI development to mitigate risks. His competitors, Elon Musk, CEO of X, and Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, backed this call.
- Monday: Microsoft unveiled its code of conduct to ensure human oversight of AI.
While many Democrats expressed their calls for stricter AI oversight over the weekend, a few notable Republicans also showed willingness to support enhanced regulation. Among them were Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the party’s Senate candidate in Michigan, Mike Rogers, a former Intel chairman.
“I believe we must decelerate AI development to enable the government and its partners to catch up and implement stricter protocols and safeguards,” Rogers wrote on X.
Concerns about the risks AI poses to humanity are growing, with some researchers calling for a slowdown in its development. AI researcher Connor Leahy says it’s important to distinguish between AI and superintelligence, arguing that superintelligence is not a tool or a weapon, but ‘an adversary.’
With significant AI corporations and a growing number of Republicans agreeing on the necessity for action, Trump may have to consider a compromise, according to Nita Farahany, a professor at Duke University who examines the legal and social aspects of emerging technologies.
“I think it will be challenging for the president to maintain a stance of ‘No, let’s proceed at full speed,'” Farahany remarked to CBC News.
“I anticipate a shift in the White House’s approach to these matters, likely within the next 72 hours.”
-
Trump decries critics of AI, saying they’re ‘negative forces’ with exaggerated concerns
-
Could AI really ‘kill all humans’? Breaking down the dire warnings about the technology’s existential risk
Trump has consistently opposed AI regulation. In December, he signed an order designed to compel states to abandon their attempts to regulate the technology.
The leading Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives, Speaker Mike Johnson, mentioned that Trump might convene with AI company leaders in the coming two weeks, though he made no guarantees regarding the outcome.
The proposed meeting would entail “a focused discussion on the responsibilities of the companies to ensure safety, and what role, if any, the government should play,” Johnson told reporters on Capitol Hill on Monday.
A sign that the notion of regulating AI resonates across the political spectrum is the diverse group expected to participate in the Pro-Human Assembly launch, a new coalition aimed at “charting a better path for AI.”
Among the speakers at the event scheduled for Tuesday in Washington are Steve Bannon, Trump’s former chief of staff and a notable MAGA figure, alongside Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, a prominent advocate from the left.