Hill Democrats urge action on AI amid safety concerns as former Anthropic researcher sounds alarm

A former Anthropic safety researcher’s public resignation letter just handed congressional Democrats exactly the ammunition they’ve been looking for. Jacob Coxon took to X on September 8 to announce his departure from the AI company, claiming that both Anthropic and OpenAI believe advanced artificial intelligence could pose existential risks by as early as 2030. Within a day, House Democrats seized on the warning. Representatives Lori Trahan, Ted Lieu, and Greg Casar each called for legislative action to rein in AI development before, as they see it, the technology outruns anyone’s ability to control it. The bills on the table The AI Kill Switch Act, championed by Rep. Lieu, would require emergency shutdown capabilities in advanced AI systems. Then there’s the Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act, co-led by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Casar. That one goes considerably further. It would outright prohibit the development of superintelligent AI and enforce a moratorium on deploying advanced models until a federal regulatory body is stood up to oversee them. Casar described the current state of AI development as an “emergency.” Rep. Trahan has taken a more nuanced position. She’s voic...