U.S. Senators Discuss AI Safety Bill Requiring Companies to Prove Reasonable Precautions

U.S. Senate negotiators are discussing legislation that would require artificial intelligence companies to prove they are taking reasonable precautions to prevent their tools from causing harm. The proposal would give the U.S. Commerce Secretary authority to require developers to show they have taken reasonable steps to prevent harm and would authorize government auditors to test related products. According to ChainCatcher, Reuters said the talks are still ongoing and it could not immediately determine what would qualify as reasonable. The proposal faces significant hurdles even if Congress approves it, as U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that existing powers are sufficient to regulate and prosecute technology companies and suggested he would not sign a bill creating new AI rules. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, and Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar are among those discussing the proposal. Thune said on Monday that Congress can set guardrails for more serious threats without undermining the U.S. lead in the AI race. Klobuchar said in a statement that she continues to push bipartisan legislation for government oversight of the biggest risks posed by AI models, including requiring developers to work with government experts to verify and test models for safety. Senate Commerce Committee ranking Democrat Maria Cantwell is also involved in the discussions. Reuters reported on Friday that negotiators are also considering a federal court process that would let companies challenge a government decision to block the release of certain AI models if officials deem them unsafe. The court-related portion would also prevent states from enforcing their own laws targeting specific risks from AI models.