Congress Faces Three AI Bills with No Timetable for Voting
Congress is currently grappling with three AI-related bills, yet there's no set timeline for any of them to come to a vote. This week, John Kennedy, a Republican senator from Louisiana, plans to introduce legislation that advocates for including a "kill switch" in AI systems. On the same day, Bernie Sanders will host a briefing with AI researchers and propose a bill banning artificial superintelligence. Josh Hawley's bipartisan safety bill, addressing national security, civil liberties, and labor protections, is already in play.
Senators from both parties express skepticism about the bills' progress. Despite recent calls for regulation by prominent figures like Elon Musk and Sam Altman, Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, emphasizes that "we never do anything until we have a holy heck moment."
The unusual delay is notable due to who is pushing for regulation. Typically, industries and CEOs resist such measures, but in this case, AI developers themselves are advocating for oversight. Donald Trump has consistently rejected these calls, dismissing them as conspiracies.
Despite some Republican support for limited regulations, like John Thune's suggestion to set "guardrails around the more consequential threats without harming our ability to stay ahead in the AI race," progress remains stagnant. A bipartisan working group recommended significant investment in AI development and safeguards in 2024, but little has materialized.
External pressure from former President Obama and researchers at AI labs has continued to mount, urging Congress to act. David Sacks, Trump's former AI adviser, even advised companies to "slow down quietly" and stop expecting legislative solutions.
As of now, none of the three bills has a committee, floor, or co-sponsorship date.