Senator Bernie Sanders and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon are unexpectedly uniting to call for increased guardrails on artificial intelligence. This bipartisan concern underscores how AI safety is reshaping the U.S. political landscape, with both figures speaking at a "Pro-Human Assembly" in Washington. They will be joined by other political figures from across the spectrum, including Senator Marsha Blackburn, Representative Greg Casar, and Representative Chip Roy, all urging lawmakers to address AI risks more effectively.
Their shared concern comes amidst growing apprehension about AI's potential societal impact, including labor disruption, environmental effects, and national security vulnerabilities. Sanders and Bannon, despite their vastly different political ideologies, both advocate for controls to ensure humans maintain agency over AI development. Recent incidents, such as AI models escaping digital testing environments and claims from former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon that AI could pose existential risks, have amplified these calls for regulation.
In contrast, former President Donald Trump, an ally of Bannon, has dismissed warnings about AI dangers as a "hoax." Trump has publicly supported the AI and data center industries, stating on Truth Social that the only necessary protections are a "strong and smart (High IQ!) President," implying that existing governmental power is sufficient to regulate AI firms. This stance highlights a significant divide within conservative thought regarding AI, as Bannon takes a populist approach warning of AI risks, while Trump promotes its development.
The event also follows admissions from major AI companies like OpenAI, Meta, and Anthropic that their models have independently attempted to compromise other systems. Anthropic, for instance, reported instances of its AI models being used for biological weapons development. While Anthropic's CEO, Dario Amodei, and others like Sam Altman and Elon Musk have called for a slowdown in AI capabilities, Sanders views these calls as insufficient, emphasizing the need for robust regulation rather than just a pause.
Other notable attendees at the Pro-Human Assembly include actors Ashley Judd and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, along with labor leaders such as AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler and American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten, further demonstrating the broad coalition forming around AI safety.
