What's happening?
After winning a majority in Congress, Democrats are moving to tighten rules on the AI industry. The Ban Superintelligence Act, backed by Representatives Greg Casar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez along with Senator Bernie Sanders, is gaining traction.
What the bill proposes
Under the draft, labs working on advanced AI would need a permit from a newly created Department of Artificial Intelligence. The department's secretary would have full access to labs' digital and physical infrastructure, including data centers. The office would also define what counts as "advanced" AI, with a threshold that can be adjusted as technology advances.
Steep penalties
The bill introduces heavy penalties for "rogue actors" that fail to comply, including up to 20 years in prison for the worst offenders and 10-year bans on individual employees working in the industry.
The political picture
Arizona Representative Yassamin Ansari said on social media that Democrats' first priority should be "a pause on advanced AI development, regulation of this out of control industry, and a ban on artificial superintelligence." House Democratic leader Ted Lieu criticized Republicans for letting the "AI industry run wild." Whether more moderate Democrats will back the bill remains unclear.
