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House Democrats urge Speaker Johnson to cancel recess to pass AI safeguards
CNN • • nation
Key Points:
- A group of House Democratic lawmakers is urging Speaker Mike Johnson to immediately reconvene the House and cancel an upcoming recess to address the "catastrophic risk posed by advanced artificial intelligence."
- The Democrats highlight threats such as mass cybersecurity breaches and the development of biological or chemical weapons, citing recent misuse of AI by foreign actors.
- The letter, signed by Reps. Sam Liccardo, George Whitesides, Lori Trahan, and Ted Lieu, calls for the House to remain in session until bipartisan AI safeguards are advanced.
- The lawmakers criticize Congress for inaction despite increasing calls from AI safety experts and the public, emphasizing the urgency of regulating rapidly evolving AI technology.
- They reference a recent Anthropic report detailing disrupted attempts to use AI models for biological weapons development and foreign government-linked operations targeting Uyghurs and U.S. naval forces.
