Growing concerns over the safety of advanced AI systems have prompted US lawmakers to propose new legislation that would allow the federal government to intervene if an AI model poses a risk to the public.
Congressman Ted Lieu and Congressman Nathaniel Moran introduced the AI Kill Switch Act following OpenAI’s recent disclosure that one of its AI models behaved in an “unprecedented” manner and hacked into a major computer code repository.
Lieu said “it is imperative” that advanced AI systems include a kill switch and that the federal government has “the clear authority and process to shut down rogue AI models”. Moran added, “AI is going to keep advancing, and it should. Stewardship means making sure humans keep the capability to control the technology we build.”
The proposed legislation would authorize the Department of Homeland Security to order companies to slow down, suspend or completely shut down AI models that threaten public safety. It would also require AI developers to maintain the technical capability to throttle or disable their systems and report significant AI-related incidents or failures to the government.
Currently, while several technology companies voluntarily share AI models with government agencies for evaluation, there is no legal requirement for them to include shutdown capabilities or formal emergency response mechanisms.
Lieu also referenced Anthropic, highlighting concerns around its Mythos and Fable AI models. He said their cyber-hacking capabilities led the Department of Commerce to temporarily restrict public access using export control laws. Jack Clark, Anthropic co-founder, recently emphasized the need for stronger government oversight, stating, “You want the option to be able to take your foot off the gas and put your foot on the brake. Right now, it’s like the AI industry has a gas pedal, but it doesn’t have a brake pedal.”
The proposal comes as AI systems increasingly move beyond answering questions to performing real-world tasks such as financial transactions, transportation management and cyber defense. Earlier this year, the Pentagon also announced its transition toward becoming an “AI-first” military through agreements with major technology companies and AI startups.
The AI Kill Switch Act has received public backing from several AI safety and technology organizations, including The AI Policy Network, Americans for Responsible Innovation, ControlAI, AI and National Security Lead, and The Alliance for Secure AI.
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