Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of former President Donald Trump, both urged stronger regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) at an event in Washington on Tuesday. Their joint presence—coming from opposite ends of the US political spectrum—underscored that worries about AI cross party lines.
Sanders, who describes himself as a democratic socialist, warned about the growing threats posed by the technology and called for mandatory safety rules. He said AI could eliminate as many as ten million jobs, wipe out entire professions, and make it harder for young people to enter the workforce. Sanders also pointed to revelations from the past month that AI had been used to create new viruses, a development he said could lead to bio‑weapons and mass destruction if misused.
Steve Bannon expressed similar concerns from a different political perspective. He criticized Donald Trump’s approach to AI and blamed technology companies in part for the lack of regulatory appetite. In a recent podcast, Bannon argued that Congress should not prevent individual states from enacting their own AI rules.
Congressional dynamics and the White House stance
Congress returned Monday from its long summer recess, and lawmakers have been holding closed‑door discussions about whether legislative intervention is needed. The Senate is debating a bill that would bar states from implementing their own AI rules for certain categories of risk.
By contrast, the White House and Republican leadership favor industry self‑regulation. Donald Trump downplayed concerns raised by industry leaders on Monday, saying the United States already has appropriate safety guardrails. House Speaker Mike Johnson reiterated on Tuesday that halting development would hand an advantage to China and expressed confidence that companies can regulate themselves.
Ohio Republican Senator Bernie Moreno told Reuters that the slow pace of legislation is itself a problem, warning that AI could be much further advanced in four years while lawmakers wrestle with issues that may already be outdated.
Public opinion, industry signals and regulatory skepticism
A Reuters/Ipsos survey published in June found that 77 percent of Americans worry that data centers needed for AI will drive up electricity prices. The story also drew attention when Jacob Coxon, a researcher at Anthropic, announced his departure from the company, saying in part that AI developers themselves fear the technology could threaten humanity by the end of the decade.
Andrew Ferguson, chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), voiced skepticism on Tuesday as well, saying it looks suspicious that AI companies are seeking antitrust exemptions while simultaneously lobbying for new regulations. Those comments have added fuel to an already broad societal and political debate over how to manage AI safety and oversight.
Why this matters
The legislative and political debates, together with signals from industry and public opinion, show that AI is not only a technical issue: it has labor market, national security, economic and ethical implications. Decisions by Congress—whether to enact federal rules or to limit state‑level initiatives—will shape how those risks are managed going forward.
Source: Reuters
An AI assistant contributed to preparing this article; our reporter edited and verified the final text.
