Seventeen senators led by Sen. Chris Van Hollen sent a letter to President Trump on Wednesday. They want the U.S. and China to agree on safety rules for artificial intelligence. Innovation in AI is led by America, yet global leadership in safety and international cooperation must be our priority, the group stated. They specifically asked for a formal deal to slow down frontier AI development. Just prior to the White House meeting scheduled for Thursday between President Trump and China’s leader Xi Jinping, this development occurs.
The letter warns that an unregulated race between the two nations poses risks. Senators cited fears of AI being used for cyberattacks and biological weapons. The U.S. and China cannot skip discussions, they claim, because AI technology holds too much power and carries too many risks. According to the New York Post, the senators believe any guardrails they create will serve as a global standard. They want both countries to evaluate potential safety measures together.
While the letter asks for talks, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Greg Casar introduced a new bill to ban “superintelligence.” The 19-page Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act would outlaw recursive self-improvement in AI systems. It also sets up a new Cabinet-level Department of Artificial Intelligence to regulate the tech. Companies would have to pause development until this new agency is fully created. NBC News reports that violating these rules could lead to a “corporate death penalty” and up to 20 years in jail.
Sanders compared this penalty to unlawfully building nuclear weapons. According to the bill, dangerous tech is defined by having the capacity to automate or greatly accelerate the process of artificial intelligence research and development. Some experts warn that self-improving AI could eventually escape human control. On a Wednesday call, Sanders told reporters that virtually nothing is happening to prepare us for the tsunami that is coming. He called it the most transformational technology in history.
Despite the new push from Democrats, the White House has already made progress with China. An agreement on an AI notification system was announced by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent alongside China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng. This deal ensures both countries keep each other informed if the technology goes rogue. Some in Washington view the Sanders bill as provocative but unlikely to pass. NBC News observes that no meaningful legislation is expected to pass this year.
The letter from the senators urges the President to act fast before the meeting with Xi. They contend that humanity has never seen anything like the situation we are currently dealing with. The goal is to prevent a dangerous race without safety guardrails. The bill from Sanders and Casar takes a much harder line by threatening jail time. Both efforts highlight the growing fear about how fast AI is moving.
The Senate letter asks for a mutual pause, while the Sanders bill demands a total stop on specific tech. The White House meeting on Thursday will be the first test of whether the U.S. and China can work together. The new notification system shows some cooperation is already happening. However, the threat of a 20-year prison sentence remains a steep price for developers. The New York Post notes that the letter was sent on Wednesday to influence the upcoming talks. The question now is whether Washington can agree on a path forward before the technology moves too fast to control.
