Republicans are looking for a way to bring back the AI moratorium

House Republicans are looking to renew an effort to override authorities AI laws aft a erstwhile mentation came to a screeching halt earlier this year.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) told Punchbowl News he’s considering adding connection to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) efficaciously banning authorities AI regulations. Later connected Tuesday, President Donald Trump posted connected Truth Social urging Congress to standardize AI regulations. “We MUST person 1 Federal Standard alternatively of a patchwork of 50 State Regulatory Regimes,” helium wrote. “If we don’t, past China volition easy drawback america successful the AI race. Put it successful the NDAA, oregon walk a abstracted Bill, and cipher volition ever beryllium capable to vie with America.”

Tacking amendments onto the NDAA, which lawmakers see a must-pass bill, is simply a communal strategy to get authorities crossed the decorativeness enactment astatine the extremity of the year. It’s not wholly wide what the caller connection would look similar considering 99 retired of 100 senators yet turned against the mentation of a five-year moratorium connected authorities AI laws that was enactment to a ballot this summer. 

When the contented came up earlier this year, galore lawmakers expressed interest astir the archetypal 10-year word projected for the moratorium, and the imaginable that connection could beryllium truthful wide arsenic to cover  a big of different tech regulations, including kids’ online information laws. Both reddish and bluish states person adopted AI-related laws that could beryllium efficaciously nullified if Congress were to ballot to preempt oregon intermission them.

Proponents of the moratorium, including tech manufacture associations similar NetChoice, argued that a analyzable patchwork of authorities regulations for an early-stage manufacture similar AI could hamper innovation and endanger US competitiveness with China. 

More details connected the NDAA’s connection are expected earlier the Thanksgiving holiday, with a ballot connected way for December, according to Politico.