Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Greg Casar introduced one of Congress’s most sweeping AI proposals to date, seeking to halt development of “superintelligent” systems until a new Cabinet-level Department of Artificial Intelligence is established. The 19-page bill would impose a “corporate death penalty” and criminal sentences of up to 20 years for violations, drawing sharp reactions from industry groups who called the measure unrealistic and possibly unconstitutional. Supporters, including AI safety advocates, praised the focus on preventing recursive self-improvement, while policy experts warned that defining “superintelligence” remains technically fraught. The effort arrives as Congress struggles to coalesce around AI rules, with alternative proposals circulating on testing and international coordination. Parallel diplomacy is unfolding as U.S. officials discuss incident-notification mechanisms with China, and President Trump’s move to relabel “artificial intelligence” as “super intelligence” adds confusion to already blurred policy lines. Despite growing concern over catastrophic risks, lawmakers acknowledge major AI legislation is unlikely to advance before year-end.
Related articles:
– NIST Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework (AI RMF 1.0)
– California SB-1047: Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Intelligence Models
– UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence
– OECD Principles on Artificial Intelligence
