US Speaker Rejects AI Pause, Warns China Could Gain Edge

US House Speaker Mike Johnson has rejected calls for a pause in artificial intelligence development, warning that slowing the technology could allow China to overtake the United States in a field he described as critical to national security.

Johnson said on Tuesday that the United States could not afford to impose a moratorium on AI development while China continued advancing its own capabilities.

"We cannot have a moratorium on the development of AI," Johnson said, arguing that any significant slowdown could cause the US to lose its technological advantage and create serious security risks for Americans.

He also said AI companies should largely be allowed to regulate themselves rather than face broad government restrictions.

According to Johnson, companies should have the freedom to determine whether they need to slow development, while government intervention should focus on targeted safeguards rather than halting technological progress.

His comments come amid an increasingly heated debate in Washington over how AI should be regulated, with concerns ranging from job losses and rising energy consumption to public safety and the potential misuse of increasingly powerful systems.

Growing calls for restrictions

The debate has brought together political figures from opposite ends of the US political spectrum.

Senator Bernie Sanders and former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon appeared at the same Washington event on Tuesday and both argued that stronger restrictions on AI development may be necessary.

Sanders warned that AI could have a profound impact on the US workforce, potentially eliminating millions of jobs and reducing opportunities for younger workers entering professions that could increasingly be automated.

He also raised concerns about the concentration of AI technology in the hands of a relatively small number of powerful technology companies and executives.

Sanders said the technology could eventually become difficult for humans to control and warned of potentially catastrophic consequences if advanced AI systems were misused.

He pointed to scientific research demonstrating that AI can assist in the design of biological agents, saying such capabilities could create significant biosecurity risks if placed in the wrong hands.

Sanders has called on President Donald Trump to use planned discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping to explore an international agreement that could temporarily halt or restrict aspects of AI development.

Bannon, meanwhile, described artificial intelligence as one of the defining issues of the current era and argued that the US should slow development sufficiently to better understand the risks.

He also said AI regulation should not become another partisan political battle, pointing to his appearance alongside Sanders as evidence that concerns about the technology extend across traditional political divisions.

Trump dismisses existential AI concerns

The debate intensified after Trump dismissed warnings from technology industry figures who have called for greater controls over AI.

Trump has argued that the United States already has sufficient safeguards and that government authorities have the power to intervene when necessary.

He has also rejected warnings that artificial intelligence could pose an existential threat, describing such concerns as exaggerated and arguing that the United States must continue moving quickly to maintain its technological lead over China.

Trump has further criticised opponents of rapid AI expansion and those raising concerns about the growth of energy-intensive data centres, accusing some critics of attempting to undermine the industry.

Johnson broadly echoed Trump's concerns about China but acknowledged that some safeguards may still be required.

He said the development of AI should include measures such as independent auditing and greater transparency from companies building advanced systems.

Johnson also said he had spoken with Trump on Monday night and that executives from major AI companies were expected to be called to the White House for discussions within the coming week.

The meetings are likely to add to a growing national debate over how the United States can maintain its lead in artificial intelligence while addressing concerns about employment, security, safety and the potential consequences of increasingly powerful technology.