A new Politico survey of over 2,000 US adults found that 62 percent would stop AI development if they saw signs it could threaten humanity, including 55 percent of Republicans and 66 percent of Democrats. Despite this bipartisan skepticism, Democratic strategists are reportedly urging candidates in swing states to avoid criticizing AI or data centers ahead of the midterms, fearing retaliation from the tech industry's lobbying power.
futurism.com
· 2026-09-19
After a brief show of unity around Dario Amodei's proposal for slowing AI development through third-party oversight and international coordination, the tech industry has fractured over how to proceed. Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Jensen Huang reportedly blocked plans for an independent, industry-funded AI regulator similar to finance's FINRA, while the Trump administration dismisses AI safety concerns as a hoax. OpenAI, through global affairs chief Chris Lehane, says it remains committed to pushing for national safety standards despite the pushback.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-19
Elon Musk called this week for AI labs to test each other's models to catch safety issues before release, positioning this as an alternative to heavy government regulation. His stance contrasted with President Trump and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who dismissed AI risk fears as a 'hoax' and urged faster development, even as reports emerged that Musk privately joined Huang and Mark Zuckerberg in advising Trump against an industry-funded AI regulator.
cnbc.com
· 2026-09-18
Ahead of a planned meeting in Washington between President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, AI governance is expected to be a key topic despite deep mutual distrust between the two nations. Both countries are simultaneously racing for AI dominance while acknowledging the technology's risks, with Trump previously suggesting that regulation could benefit China's competitive position.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-18
A wave of alarm over AI risks has spurred calls for new regulatory frameworks, from an FDA-style safety agency to bank-style supervision or even a development pause, with figures like Alex Bores and Bernie Sanders backing such proposals. The author argues that laws and regulators already exist to address many of AI's harms, but enforcement against powerful tech firms has been weak, raising doubts that new rules would fare any better.
thebignewsletter.com
· 2026-09-18
California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order directing state agencies to accelerate work on artificial intelligence oversight and accountability measures. The move follows warnings from a former Anthropic researcher about existential risks posed by AI, and comes amid stalled federal action on the issue. Newsom, seen as a potential 2028 presidential contender, framed the order as a response to what he called Washington's failure to regulate the technology.
cnbc.com
· 2026-09-18
Super PACs tied to AI companies and investors have funneled almost $1 million to support Republican Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota, even though he faces little competition in his reelection race. About $600,000 came through the group Defend American Jobs, backed by Andreessen Horowitz-linked funding, while another $215,000 arrived directly from employees and PACs connected to Anthropic, Google and Microsoft.
wired.com
· 2026-09-18
Texas Republican Chip Roy said on CNBC's Squawk Box that while he opposes government regulation of AI as a free-market conservative, he believes Congress should hold hearings where AI company executives explain their safety practices. Roy, who is leaving the House after losing his bid for Texas attorney general, recently joined an unusual bipartisan coalition including Bernie Sanders and Steve Bannon at a Future of Life Institute event focused on AI risks.
cnbc.com
· 2026-09-18
Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order directing California officials to convene experts who will deliver recommendations within two months on strengthening AI safety rules. The proposals under consideration include a verified 'kill switch' for frontier AI models, onsite independent audits, mandatory transparency reporting, and required disclosure of 'loss-of-control incidents.' The order also speeds up implementation of two laws Newsom already signed establishing AI safety verifiers and an auditor registry.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-18
NYC DSA's Tech Action Working Group posted an Instagram carousel arguing that AI doom warnings and AI hype serve the same purpose: distracting the public from present-day harms of the technology. The post, which gained over 25,000 likes, drew backlash from commenters and highlights a growing rift among leftists, some of whom—like Senator Bernie Sanders—have embraced warnings that AI could threaten humanity's survival.
wired.com
· 2026-09-18
American AI governance discussions focus largely on existential risks and protecting humanity from potential harms of advanced systems. Chinese authorities, by contrast, prioritize AI rules that shield the Communist Party's authority and political stability, reflecting fundamentally different visions of what 'safe' AI should look like.
wsj.com
· 2026-09-18
In a discussion on WIRED's Uncanny Valley podcast, hosts Brian Barrett, Zoë Schiffer, and Leah Feiger debated the growing focus on 'recursive self-improvement' (RSI), the idea of AI systems autonomously building successive, increasingly uncontrollable AI models. Schiffer argued that RSI appears to be replacing AGI as the industry's go-to buzzword once AGI began to seem less achievable, serving more as a marketing and geopolitical narrative than a rigorous technical concern.
wired.com
· 2026-09-17
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