Abstract:
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson is open to regulating artificial intelligence (AI), clashing with President Donald Trump's clear opposition to AI regulation. The clash of positions has created divisions within the party as the midterm elections approach and Republicans already face strong headwinds. Faced with stern warnings from within the AI industry to slow down technology development, Johnson said on Monday that Congress "probably" needs to put guardrails in place for the industry, although he also warned that it could take "some time" to craft a bill that can gain broad enough support to be passed.
Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson
Johnson's comments on Monday further elaborated on a statement he made the day before, after he said he aimed to carefully design regulatory guardrails to "prevent AI from causing any harm, while protecting American innovation and national security and ensuring we maintain an advantage over other international competitors."
Johnson's carefully worded support for action on tech executives' warnings contrasted with Trump's sharp dismissal of those concerns. Trump took to social media on Monday to call the executives' warnings a "hoax" and blame concerns surrounding cutting-edge AI models on a "sick conspiracy."
Johnson downplayed his differences with Trump, saying Trump's posts reflected both sides' desire to maintain America's competitive edge in AI.
Johnson also said that Trump planned to convene a meeting with AI company executives in the next few days, and emphasized that Trump's refutation of relevant warnings was out of concern for maintaining the United States' competitive advantage against China. The White House did not respond to a request for comment about the meeting.
The tension between Trump and Johnson comes just 50 days before the midterm elections, in which Republicans risk losing control of Congress.
The Democratic Party has also begun to pay more attention to AI issues. Former President Barack Obama called for regulation last week. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer issued a statement on Monday saying "the alarm bells are ringing louder than ever" and calling on Congress to take action.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on Monday that Congress "needs to take decisive action."
"Republicans have abdicated their responsibility to protect the American people. Democrats will actively step in," he said.
However, Congress is unlikely to act on any AI legislation in the near future. House members are scheduled to leave Washington on Thursday and will not return until after the November election.
"This is a very complex issue that requires a lot of work and a bipartisan solution," Johnson told reporters at the Capitol.
There is currently growing support within Congress for setting up some kind of guardrails for AI, with proposals ranging from Senator Bernie Sanders’ broad plan to advocate a moratorium on AI technology development to more modest regulatory measures.
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