Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) is objecting to the notion that America should be focused on winning the AI race.
“The AI race is not an arms race that you win,” Casar said during the POLITICO Decoded Summit in D.C. “It’s an arms race that we need to end, and we need to protect the American people.”
Casar also questioned the idea that competition with China should dissuade the U.S. from putting guardrails on AI, and noted he plans to release bill text for a proposal banning superintelligence. He further cast doubt on the impact of a pending bill to mitigate utility cost increases from data centers, reiterated his push for CEOs of the leading AI companies to testify before Congress.
“Over 30 members of Congress sent letters to these companies, and in the example of OpenAI, we asked if there were other incidents where AI got out of its sandbox, hacked into other companies,” Casar said. “Is there anything else we should know about in addition to hugging face?”
Speaking Tuesday at the Pro-Human Assembly, a conference on AI organized by the Future of Life Institute, Casar called for activists and whistleblowers to speak more forcefully about threats arising from advanced AI, saying the time for “tempered rhetoric has passed.”
His latest comments follow an array of warnings from employees at labs developing advanced AI models, including Anthropic whistleblower Jacob Coxon, which have fueled public concern about the technology’s advancing capabilities.
Public opinion over the risks associated with AI has hardened, with new results from The POLITICO Poll underscoring the depth of anxieties about the rapidly developing technology. Overall, about two out of three Americans say there is at least a “moderate” risk that advanced AI could destroy humanity, with majorities across parties, genders and age groups holding that view.
Ahead of a House vote on a bipartisan bill designed to curb data center costs, Casar said he plans to vote for the bill —- but poured cold water on how much of an impact it will have.
“It’s not going to make a huge difference on the electric rates, especially right now,” Casar said. “There are way stronger proposals and I don’t really think that this one is gonna come off as much of a win for the Republicans who are flailing to hold on.”
One of the guardrails Casar proposed during the summit was a new cabinet-level agency to enforce AI safety measures. “
