Sen. Cantwell: Weak Federal AI Standard Could Wipe Out Stronger State Rules

Miles_Brundage · x · 2026-09-11

Senator Cantwell notes Republicans are suddenly embracing tough AI safety rules — a sharp reversal from last year, when House Republicans and Chairman Cruz pushed a 10-year moratorium on state AI regulations favored by tech. She welcomes the urgency but warns against a weak federal standard that becomes a backdoor for wiping out stronger state protections. Meaningful legislation, she argues, should require the most powerful AI models to undergo testing by scientists at national labs to assess risks of enabling sophisticated cyberattacks or aiding biological and nuclear weapons development.

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