Recent surveys indicate that a majority of Americans are concerned about the potential social and economic impact of artificial intelligence, including the possibility of job losses, higher household costs and other forms of harm.
Proposed data centres, which are considered essential infrastructure for the rapid expansion of AI, have also faced opposition in several US states. A Reuters/Ipsos poll published in June found that 77 per cent of Americans were concerned that AI-related data centres could contribute to higher electricity costs.
Public concerns have also been fuelled by warnings from people working in the AI industry. Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon attracted attention after announcing his resignation from the company, saying one factor behind his decision was concern that some people developing AI believe the technology could pose an existential threat within the coming decade.
Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of US President Donald Trump, has criticised the administration’s approach to AI oversight and attributed the lack of stronger federal regulation to pressure from technology companies.
During his podcast on Monday, Bannon argued that Congress should not adopt legislation preventing individual states from enforcing their own AI regulations.
He said Americans should not become dependent on major technology companies to determine how AI is governed.
US senators are meanwhile considering legislation that could prevent states from enforcing certain laws addressing risks associated with AI models. Previous attempts to restrict state-level AI regulations have failed to secure sufficient support in the Senate.
President Trump on Monday sought to downplay concerns raised by industry leaders over the weekend regarding the potential misuse of artificial intelligence. He said the United States already had safeguards in place to address risks associated with the technology.
Bannon and Senator Bernie Sanders are scheduled to speak at an upcoming event alongside AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and National Association of Evangelicals President Walter Kim, according to organisers. The AFL-CIO is the largest federation of labour unions in the United States.
Sanders, together with progressive House Representative Greg Casar, has called for legislation that would temporarily halt the development of AI systems capable of overthrowing or undermining the US government.
They have proposed maintaining the pause until the federal government establishes a new agency responsible for regulating the technology, although neither lawmaker has provided specific details of the proposed legislation.
