Senators press Trump to slow or pause AI development, Politico reports
The request comes days after Anthropic chief Dario Amodei urged the industry to slow down, according to PolitiFact.
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A group of senators has asked President Trump to slow or pause the development of artificial intelligence, Politico reports. The request has not been detailed beyond that, and neither the senators involved nor the exact scope of what they are asking for has been made public.
The push follows a September essay by Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei, titled "We Must Pace the Frontier," which called for slowing the pace of AI development, according to PolitiFact. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has also called for an all-Senate briefing on AI after former President Obama urged Democrats to make an AI plan a priority, NBC News reports.
Trump has previously dismissed concerns about unrestrained AI development as a "hoax," according to NBC News. House Speaker Mike Johnson has said he expects Trump to meet AI platform leaders at the White House in the coming days to discuss safety plans and the government's role, NBC News reports. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has said Washington should move quickly on AI rules but has opposed pausing development of advanced models until those rules exist, according to NBC News.
The request sits awkwardly against Trump's stated focus on competing with China and preserving American leadership in the technology. A slowdown would cut against that strategy, which is one reason congressional requests of this kind have struggled to gain traction. Nonbinding letters from lawmakers, without backing from the White House, have not historically moved sentiment on AI stocks, and there is no confirmed market reaction to today's request.