WASHINGTON—A groundswell of urgency over artificial intelligence is surging in Congress amid growing fears that the technology could destroy civilization .
The bipartisan concerns ratcheted up this week after a departing Anthropic researcher warned that the lab and its competitors are building systems they won’t be able to control in a dire missive that went viral. Rep. WSJ’s Amrith Ramkumar breaks down how AI models from OpenAI and other companies went rogue on the internet to steal information. Photo: Jason Redmond/AFP/Getty Images Sen. Josh Hawley (R., Mo.) wrote OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman a letter notifying him that a Senate subcommittee he oversees focused on disaster management is investigating the company’s hack of AI firm Hugging Face , which involved hundreds of AI agents coordinating and using the internet to infiltrate the company’s systems. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.) also wrote a letter Wednesday to Altman seeking information about the hacking incident.
House Democrats are considering creating a select committee focused on AI should they take over the chamber after the midterm elections, according to people familiar with the matter. Ro Khanna (D., Calif.) on Wednesday called for a new federal regulatory agency similar to those for nuclear energy and airplanes, and backed so-called “ kill switches ” that could shut down AI systems when they behave dangerously.
Cruz and White House AI adviser David Sacks have shared posts on social media questioning whether the Anthropic researcher who quit, Jacob Coxon, was coordinating with nonprofits that donate to liberal causes and warn about AI destroying civilization. The groups have some ties to Anthropic personnel . Some industry allies have suggested that this week’s warnings are a campaign to build momentum for Democrats to propose strong regulations. “The AI policy window is open, for now.
Coxon said his decision to leave the company was his own. Anthropic has previously said that its policy and safety efforts are genuine and that AI risks are real. We intend to use it,” Chris Lehane, chief global affairs officer at OpenAI, said in a Wednesday blog post reiterating that the company wants to work with Congress.
