US Speaker Rejects AI Moratorium as Sanders and Bannon Call for Restrictions

US House Speaker Mike Johnson has rejected calls for a pause in artificial intelligence development, saying the United States would risk losing its edge to China. He made the comments in Washington on Tuesday, arguing that a slowdown would carry serious national security implications for American families. The remarks came as debate over AI regulation intensified across the political spectrum.

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Johnson said there should be no moratorium on AI development and argued that companies should largely be left to regulate themselves. He said firms could slow their own work if they chose, but added that the government should not force them to do so. His comments were framed around competition with China, which he said would benefit if the United States pulled back.

At the same Washington event, US Senator Bernie Sanders and former White House adviser Steve Bannon both called for tighter restrictions on AI. Sanders described the technology as a growing threat and said it should face binding safety rules. He warned that AI could eliminate tens of millions of jobs and make it harder for young people to enter the workforce.

Sanders also raised concerns about public safety and biosecurity, citing recent research in which scientists used AI to design new viruses. He said that in the wrong hands, such technology could contribute to new bioweapons and even a global pandemic. Bannon called AI the defining issue of the time and said the United States needed to slow development in order to understand the risks.

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The clash highlights how AI has become a political and strategic issue in Washington, not only a technology policy debate. Concerns cited by critics include jobs, energy costs, public safety and the possibility that advanced systems could be used in harmful ways. Supporters of a pause argue that the risks are moving faster than safeguards, while opponents say restrictions could weaken US competitiveness.

The debate also reflects wider tensions over how the United States should respond to China in advanced technologies. Sanders urged Donald Trump to use an upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping to seek a treaty pausing AI development. What remains unclear is whether lawmakers will move toward binding rules, voluntary industry standards or no new federal action at all.

The issue is likely to stay central as officials weigh national security concerns against the pace of AI innovation.

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