Kamala Harris posted a statement on social media Monday night, outlining her plan for addressing the rapid advancement of AI. She asked Congress to pass new laws and establish a new federal entity to provide oversight and independent testing for frontier models. Harris also called on the president to pursue a treaty with countries including China, covering issues like dangerous uses, development speed, and global testing standards.
Her proposal comes as other high-profile figures are also weighing in on the need for AI regulation. Barack Obama issued a statement the same night, calling on Washington to take proactive steps with concrete proposals, laws, and regulations. Pete Buttigieg had made similar comments a day earlier, calling for a kill switch on rogue AI and warning that Congress should not sit on its hands.
Donald Trump has already responded to the calls for regulation, dismissing them as a "SICK conspiracy" against AI and data centers. He has rescinded the 2023 executive order on AI oversight and has expressed skepticism about extinction fears. The debate over AI regulation is heating up, with several figures with plausible claims on the 2028 nomination taking a stance on the issue.
Harris's proposal for a federal entity to oversee AI development is a key part of her plan. The bill currently being negotiated by John Thune and Amy Klobuchar would create a power to block unsafe models and a duty of care on developers, but Harris is asking for an agency that can conduct independent testing. This is closer to the FAA-style testing body floated in a July letter from lab employees, but further than the Senate draft goes.
The treaty proposal is more uncertain, with less to build on. Trump and Xi Jinping discussed AI guardrails in Beijing in May, but signed nothing. The administration's stated position is that any pause would hand China the lead, but Harris argues that the United States can maintain its lead while imposing common-sense standards.
This article was written with the assistance of AI.
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