Ted Lieu: AI risks are ‘no longer in the realm of science fiction’

Por Owen Dahlkamp — POLITICO – TOP Stories

Rep. Ted Lieu is focused on the nightmare scenario: humans losing control of artificial intelligence.

The self-professed science fiction nerd, who chairs the House Democratic Commission on AI, told POLITICO he sees eerie parallels between today’s rapidly advancing technology and movies like The Terminator, in which an AI system turns against its creators.

“Those things are no longer in the realm of science fiction anymore,” he said in a wide-ranging interview. “They are now possible things that could happen.”

As vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus — the fourth-highest-ranking position in House Democratic leadership — the California lawmaker will play a central role in shaping his party’s approach to AI if Democrats retake the House in November. But with President Donald Trump still in the White House, any substantive legislation is all but certain to need his sign-off.

Lieu’s conversation with POLITICO comes as the latest series of incidents involving AI models acting beyond their intended limits has intensified debate over whether companies and the government can keep pace with the technology’s development.

One practical solution the lawmaker sees: work across the aisle with Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-Texas) to pass the bipartisan AI Kill Switch Act, which would require certain technology companies to maintain the technical capability to shut down their systems.

Such a proposal would give the federal government authority to order AI labs to slow development or shut down models they deem unacceptably dangerous, according to Lieu. It comes as California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) are exploring whether state regulators should require AI companies to develop such mechanisms for their most advanced models.

Lieu sees the bill as a backstop for the worst-case scenario in which companies lose control of the technology. “The first principle should be that humans are in control of AI, not the other way around,” he said.

The lawmaker has worried about AI-related catastrophic risk as rogue AI agents have been autonomously carrying out cyber crimes in violation of their instructors’ wishes, and last year secured an amendment in the National Defense Authorization Act that prohibits the use of AI in making launch decisions for nuclear weapons.

Lieu told POLITICO he has heard concrete concerns from voters about the existential jeopardy and more mundane threats posed by AI. A new POLITICO Poll, published last week, found that 63% of respondents believe the technology poses at least a moderate risk of destroying humanity.

“They’re legitimately concerned about potential job loss, potential ability to kill humanity,” he said.

Democrats face an AI crossroads

If Democrats retake the House in November, the party will have to sort through dozens of different ideas members have for how to regulate AI.

The caucus is divided on what measures it wishes to pursue. Progressives, like Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), have backed a pause on AI development. More centrist Democrats support guardrails but also want to ensure they don’t stifle development.

Lieu did not offer specifics when asked how he would work to achieve consensus: “The Democratic caucus is unified in a view that the AI industry cannot self-regulate.”

Such questions could be addressed by a select committee on AI, a proposal that Lieu, alongside Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill.), has presented to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. The committee could centralize the legislative and oversight processes for AI, which is currently spread over several committees, under one roof.

But it may face headwinds from senior Democrats who are wary about giving up their committees’ jurisdiction over a prominent policy issue that is the talk of Washington.

While Lieu said he is supportive of the commission: “I don’t really care about the process and how this happens. I just want to have AI bills pass off the floor of the House of Representatives.”

When asked what legislative or subpoena authority the theoretical committee would have, he said, “I think that’s a better question to ask Leader Jeffries.”

Fonte: POLITICO – TOP Stories