Key Takeaways
- Anthropic, creator of AI assistant Claude, has circulated a draft bill to US lawmakers.
- The bill aims to regulate AI, blocking models that could cause over $1 billion in damages.
- The proposal seeks to grant federal government the power to block dangerous AI deployments.
Anthropic, the company behind the AI assistant Claude, has proposed a draft bill to US lawmakers aimed at regulating artificial intelligence (AI), according to a report by Politico. The draft seeks to address the lack of federal legislation on the risks posed by AI.
The proposed legislation would allow the federal government to block or use an AI model if there is an imminent risk of killing or seriously injuring more than 50 people, or causing over $1 billion in damages, but only with a judge’s approval. A company spokesperson told AFP that the proposal ‘grants the federal government the ability to block or deter dangerous deployments of the most powerful models.’
The spokesperson further stated that the draft requires frontier developers to test the most powerful models, be transparent to the public about their findings, submit them to independent evaluation, and maintain a robust security program. This move comes amid growing concerns over AI security incidents, with recent revelations highlighting the risks associated with autonomous software that operates without constant human supervision.
AI policy in the US under President Donald Trump has relied primarily on voluntary industry pledges and executive orders, aiming to sustain an AI boom that tech leaders believe is driving the country’s economy. However, Congress, politically divided and heavily lobbied by Big Tech, has yet to pass a federal AI law, and is currently out of session until after next month’s midterm elections.
Security has become a hot topic following recent incidents involving AI agents. In June, Anthropic was forced by the US government to suspend its most advanced models for nearly three weeks. The company’s CEO, Dario Amodei, called on the industry to slow down development, fearing that a group of AI agents could take control of ‘the entire internet’ within six to 12 months. President Trump has dismissed calls to slow down the technology as ‘negative forces.’
The proposed legislation would also override certain state laws, such as those in force in California. Anthropic wrote in June that ‘absent a strong federal law, states should retain full authority to legislate.’
Charlie Bullock, a spokesperson for the Institute for Law & AI think tank, praised the proposal as ‘pretty reasonable,’ and ‘more than other frontier labs have done.’ However, he considers it ‘weaker’ than the FRONTIER Act, a competing bill introduced in the House of Representatives this summer.
It requires frontier developers to test the most powerful models, be transparent to the public about their findings, submit them to independent evaluation, and maintain a robust security program.
Anthropic spokesperson, Company spokesperson
