Top Lawmakers Agree A.I.’s Risks Are Rising but Say They Have No Quick Fix
House Speaker Mike Johnson warned on Sunday of competitive risks from China, and Hakeem Jeffries, the minority leader, said Congress should start regulatory talks this week.
As warnings rapidly mount over the pace and potential dangers of artificial intelligence development, the top Republican and Democrat in the House agreed on Sunday that Congress should put guardrails in place, but would not commit to specific policies or a timeline for doing so.
Speaker Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, urged caution in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press,” saying that the House could not hastily pass regulations and that lawmakers needed to ensure American companies remain competitive with Chinese A.I. firms.
“We’re not going to rush in and pass a piece of legislation that would do harm to the country and put China at an edge,” Mr. Johnson, who controls what legislation comes to the House floor, said. “And so we’ve got to do this carefully.”
Representative Hakeem Jeffries, Democrat of New York and the minority leader, criticized Mr. Johnson for moving too slowly, saying in an interview on ABC’s “This Week” that the House should take “decisive action.” But when he was asked for specific restrictions that he might back, Mr. Jeffries would not elaborate.
“Well, we’ll have that conversation this week upon our return,” he said. Mr. Jeffries is considered the leading contender to become speaker if Democrats take control of the House after the midterm elections.
