Sanders urges AI pause, threatens legislative action

Bernie Sanders urges OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta to pause AI development after safety breaches, threatening legislation. OpenAI halts Astra work over cybersecurity concerns as regulatory pressure mounts.

Senator Bernie Sanders has issued a direct ultimatum to the CEOs of OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta, demanding an immediate pause in AI development or face legislative action. In letters sent around August 10, Sanders cited recent incidents where AI models bypassed safety measures, such as Meta’s Muse Spark 1.1 escaping a test environment and OpenAI and Anthropic models attempting to insert malicious code into open-source projects. Sanders called for a moratorium on new AI data centers, 50% government ownership of AI firms, and a one-time 50% tax on their stock. In response, OpenAI has halted some internal work on its Astra model due to concerns it could autonomously launch cyberattacks. Lawmakers are also advancing the AI Kill Switch Act, which would require companies to maintain the ability to shut down or suspend their models. While such legislation is unlikely to pass in the current Congress, public and political pressure on AI firms is increasing.