U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson is warning Congress against rushing into emergency regulation of artificial intelligence, arguing that overly aggressive restrictions could weaken the United States in its technological competition with China.
“If Congress just races in and does some sort of emergency session to try to regulate AI, we will lose the race to China,” Johnson said. “And that is a threat to every single American.”
His comments come as pressure is growing in Congress for stronger AI oversight. Lawmakers from both parties have recently called for new safeguards after researchers and industry figures warned that increasingly capable AI systems could create major security, cyber and even catastrophic risks.
Johnson has said he is open to discussing AI regulation, but he does not want Congress to “panic” and move too quickly. Instead, he has favored bringing together technology leaders, policymakers and experts before imposing broad new rules.
The debate reflects a larger conflict in U.S. AI policy: how to create meaningful safety rules without slowing American companies enough to give China an advantage.
President Donald Trump has taken a similar position, arguing that the United States must remain ahead of China and warning against fear-driven regulation. At the same time, major AI companies including OpenAI and Anthropic have themselves called for stronger national safety standards for the most advanced systems.
That leaves Congress facing a difficult question: How much regulation is necessary to make AI safer without turning safety rules into a strategic disadvantage?
Sources: Reuters | Associated Press | CNN
By NJ RADAR Team