Former Trump White House adviser Steve Bannon is set to join Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in a bipartisan push for tighter AI rules as concerns grow over the risks posed by increasingly powerful artificial intelligence systems.
Steve Bannon and Bernie Sanders Find Common Ground On AI
Sanders and Bannon, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, will speak at the same Washington event Tuesday.
The pair are expected to call for restrictions on AI development, despite their sharply different political views.
Bannon has increasingly criticized the tech industry’s influence over AI policy and argued that Congress should not stop states from imposing their own rules.
"The American people are not going to be supplicants to these tech oligarchs," Bannon said on his podcast Monday.
Growing Fears Over AI Risks
The push comes as concerns about the potential dangers of advanced AI systems intensify.
Earlier this month, Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon resigned, saying some people developing AI "earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade."
AI-linked stocks also took a hit Monday, with Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:NVDA) shares falling 3.36% to close at $210.96 and Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD) dropping 4.40% to $493.41.
Trump Pushes Back Against AI Safety Concerns
The unusual Sanders-Bannon alliance also puts Bannon at odds with Trump’s approach to AI.
Trump on Monday dismissed concerns raised by industry leaders that AI could harm people, arguing that the U.S. already has safeguards for the technology.
Sanders, meanwhile, has joined Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) in calling for a halt to development of AI systems capable of "overthrowing or undermining the U.S. government" until a new federal agency can oversee the technology.
The proposal comes as lawmakers debate whether states should retain the power to regulate AI risks independently.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo Courtesy: Lev Radin via Shutterstock
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