US senators weigh requiring AI giants to commit to preventing catastrophe
U.S. senators are debating legislation to impose a 'duty of care' on AI companies, requiring them to prove their models are safe and preventing catastrophic risks. The bill faces significant hurdles, including potential opposition from President Trump.
Why it matters
Represents a major shift toward federal oversight of the AI industry, balancing innovation with public safety concerns.
U.S. Senate negotiators are debating legislation that would require AI companies to demonstrate they are taking reasonable precautions to keep their tools from causing harm, according to a Senate aide and a lobbyist familiar with the talks.
Alarm about the potential harm from AI grew last week when Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon said he had resigned, in part because the "people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade." AI-related stocks fell worldwide on Monday after leaders of some of the industry's largest companies called for slowing the pace of the technology's development.
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