House heads home to campaign amid calls for urgent AI action
The urgency with which Anthropic, OpenAI and xAI have sought to be regulated has not translated into action on Capitol Hill.
TL;DR
- The House of Representatives adjourned, postponing action on AI regulation until after the November midterm elections.
- Top AI executives have urged Washington to regulate the technology, citing potential risks.
- Lawmakers are focusing on campaigning ahead of the midterms, with early voting already underway.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson stated the need for members to return to their districts and suggested the Senate handle legislation.
- Some Democrats, like Rep. Sam Liccardo, are pushing for the House to remain in session to address AI safety, proposing measures like a 'kill switch' and antitrust exemptions for safety collaboration.
- Bipartisan efforts like the Frontier Act, requiring third-party auditors and transparency for AI labs, are also being advocated.
- Other lawmakers, like Rep. Jay Obernolte, believe meaningful action on AI regulation is unlikely before the election due to 'too many unknowns'.
- The Senate is also working on AI safety legislation, with potential committee votes by the end of the month, but bipartisan agreement is a concern.