Bipartisan Efforts Emerge in Congress to Regulate AI

<p>Lawmakers seeking to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) are collaborating across party lines as Congress approaches a lengthy recess without a clear solution. Bipartisanship is becoming less common in Congress, but it is essential for passing legislation that requires 60 votes in the Senate.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) are urging congressional leadership to vote on their bill aimed at establishing a federal program to assess and monitor AI systems. In a letter obtained by Axios, they stated, "Recent incidents of rogue AI agent swarms hacking into public websites and systems have removed lingering doubts concerning the ability of these agents to wreak havoc on our cyber infrastructure." They emphasized that Congress must act quickly to address risks associated with frontier AI, stating that industry-led evaluations are insufficient.</p><p><strong>State of play: </strong>In the week following concerns raised by employees at Anthropic and OpenAI regarding the risks posed by AI products, several bipartisan initiatives have emerged. Representatives Russell Fry (R-S.C.) and Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.) are forming the Innovators Caucus, which focuses on AI small businesses. Their goals include developing a federal framework for AI regulation and involving small businesses in policymaking.</p><p>The heightened warnings about AI have revitalized existing bipartisan proposals aimed at mitigating its dangers. Representative Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) is promoting his bill with Representative Nathaniel Moran (R-Texas) that would mandate AI companies to incorporate a human-activated "kill switch" in their systems. Lieu has also discussed with Democratic leadership the possibility of creating a bipartisan AI select committee if they regain control of the House next year. Additionally, Representatives Lori Trahan (D-Mass.) and Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.) are advocating for their comprehensive AI regulation bill, the Frontier Act.</p><p><strong>Zoom out: </strong>It has been years since Congress enacted significant bipartisan legislation, and it has been decades since cross-party cooperation was common on major issues. Recent examples of bipartisan action often arise in response to crises, such as the infrastructure bill, semiconductor funding, and gun safety legislation passed in the 117th Congress.</p><p><strong>Yes, but: </strong>House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has indicated that the House will not address AI regulation before a six-week recess that extends beyond Election Day. In a CNN interview, Johnson stated that Congress should not hinder American innovation with excessive regulations. Former President Trump has also downplayed the urgency of federal AI regulations, describing concerns about AI as a "HOAX" in a post on Truth Social.</p><p><strong>What to watch: </strong>House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) has expressed a more serious perspective on AI regulation. A potential Democratic majority in the House next year may provide an opportunity for AI regulation to gain traction in Congress.</p>