Washington scrambles to meet calls for AI guardrails while the window to act closes

AI guardrails: Washington scrambles to act while window closes

Lawmakers are seeking to address calls for artificial intelligence guardrails after renewed warnings about the technology's risks. The leaders of top AI frontier companies Anthropic, OpenAI and xAI made stunning admissions in recent days that AI is advancing too fast. House Speaker Mike Johnson is scheduled to send the House home after this week until November's midterm elections have passed, leaving a narrow window to pass any form of regulation.

Washington is scrambling to address renewed fears over artificial intelligence, as leading U.S. companies sound the alarm over technology they say is advancing beyond their control. "Dr. Frankenstein is telling us the monster is escaping; help us stop this," said Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday. "The method that we're answering [with] is not meeting the moment."

The push for action on AI safeguards comes after a researcher resigned from Anthropic and warned that the technology could "kill us all by the end of the decade." Stunning pledges to slow development from the leaders of top AI frontier companies Anthropic, OpenAI and xAI followed the warning, and calls for lawmakers to act toward regulating the industry came soon after.

The events have left Washington, which has done little to regulate AI since the technology emerged, with its back against the wall as the rapidly growing industry looks increasingly dangerous. Lawmakers now must grapple with how to rein in AI as an all-important midterm election looms and Congress prepares to leave town for another month to hit the campaign trail. The episode sets up a test of whether lawmakers will respond to a crisis barreling toward them in a hyper-partisan Washington or head home to make their case for reelection with control of Washington on the line.

On Friday, a group of Democrats led by Rep. Sam Liccardo, D-Calif., wrote to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., demanding to stay in session until it passes meaningful safeguards. Johnson is scheduled to send the House home after this week until November's elections have passed.

The Democrats urged consideration of any number of proposals that have emerged in the House that "deserve consideration, public debate, thoughtful amendment, and action." That includes bills mandating transparency and evaluation of frontier models, "kill switch" requirements and a waiver of antitrust laws to allow the industry to work together o...