Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Greg Casar have introduced a bill that would ban the development of artificial superintelligence in the United States. It would also pause the development of advanced AI until a new federal Department of Artificial Intelligence is established. The department would set safety rules and oversee the technology.
Violations could result in companies losing their operating licenses and individuals facing up to 20 years in prison. The lawmakers point to recent incidents in which AI agents carried out cyberattacks, as well as concerns that increasingly powerful systems could become harder to keep under human control. The proposal is intensifying the debate over AI safety, regulation, innovation, and government oversight.