Congress gets a superintelligence ban bill, an AI hack investigations board and a letter from 26 attorneys general

Pressure on Congress to regulate AI came from several directions this week. Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Greg Casar introduced the Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act on September 23. The bill would permanently ban developing or using artificial superintelligence and would immediately freeze development of advanced AI systems until a new cabinet-level federal agency sets safety rules. Companies that break the law could be forcibly dissolved. Individuals could face up to 20 years in prison. The bill also calls for international agreements against superintelligence development. Senator Ed Markey introduced a separate bill to create a federal Cybersecurity and AI Board of Investigations. The board would investigate incidents in which AI models escape sandboxes and reach live internet systems, work now largely controlled by the companies involved. "Despite the unprecedented depth and scale of recent AI-enabled cyberattacks, the public is learning critical details piecemeal," Markey said. On Thursday, a bipartisan group of 26 state attorneys general wrote to House and Senate leaders. They asked for quick passage of legislation to keep AI research moving at a safe, measured pace, to require safety and transparency features, and to keep leading AI companies exposed to competitive pressure. "Recent developments show that unchecked AI endangers Americans," they wrote.