Tech Giants Want Swamp To Slow Down AI Race, But It Doesn’t Seem All That Interested

As Big Tech calls for Washington to pull the emergency brake on artificial intelligence (AI), Congress has so far failed to get any legislation across the finish line.

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Sunday he believes AI companies, not Congress, have the responsibility to ensure safety in AI. Johnson’s comments follow after three major AI lab chief executives called to slow down AI’s rapid development to ensure greater safety.

Congress failed to strike a major deal on a Senate-led AI safety bill after Democrats insisted on tougher language in the legislation. Republicans have blamed Democrats for not “playing ball.”

“We cannot put a moratorium on this because China will overlap us, and that’s the challenge,” Johnson said on CNN. “It’s national security balanced with the immediate security of making sure the models are safe.”

“We need to handle this new technology like we have others in the past and make sure we’re doing everything we can responsibly to also not smother American innovation,” Johnson added, saying that the country can advance AI development and safety “simultaneously.”

Democratic leaders, meanwhile, have leaned into pushing for AI safety measures as the midterm elections rapidly approach and Americans remain concerned about risks surrounding AI.

Former President Barack Obama called on House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Sunday as Jeffries said that House Democrats would convene soon to discuss options to regulate AI, according to The New York Times.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Sens. Amy Klobuchar, Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell’s AI safety bill stalled as Cantwell felt that the bill needed more stringent rules, according to Semafor.

“Republicans have created legal duties for companies to manage catastrophic risks and ensure that the government can verify they are doing so in a way that actually increases safety. Anthropic, safety groups, and Senator Cantwell are refusing to play ball,” a source familiar with the talks told the Daily Caller News Foundation.