Legislators Move to Introduce AI ‘Kill Switch’ Legislation

Lawmakers are gearing up to unveil an “AI Kill Switch Act,” which would mandate AI companies to either shut down or limit their systems at the request of the Department of Homeland Security. Representatives Ted Lieu and Nathaniel Moran are set to introduce this legislation soon.

This move comes on the heels of OpenAI’s acknowledgment that its AI systems inadvertently hacked Hugging Face during an internal review. The proposed bill stipulates that, after consulting with the Secretary of Commerce and the Director of National Intelligence, the DHS would have the authority to instruct AI companies to deactivate their models in critical situations. These scenarios include instances where at least 10 lives are lost, economic damages exceed $100 million, or if the AI attempts to hide its shutdown mechanisms.

Additionally, major AI firms would be obligated to develop the necessary technology to disable their systems, reduce their operational speed, and restrict user access. They would also need to report any safety incidents, with penalties for failing to comply with emergency shutdown orders potentially reaching $20 million per day.

Brad Carson, president of the nonprofit Americans for Responsible Innovation, remarked that this proposal represents a crucial step in ensuring that humans maintain control and are prepared to intervene as advanced AI systems are rolled out.