WASHINGTON — Members of a House subcommittee voiced deep anxieties about artificial intelligence during a Thursday roundtable discussion that quickly shifted from exploring the technology’s promise to confronting its potential perils.
During the session, Virginia Democrat James Walkinshaw raised concerns about federal employees potentially using AI chatbots to process classified government information. South Carolina Republican William Timmons questioned whether creating fake pornographic content using someone’s appearance through AI should be criminalized.
Virginia Republican John McGuire worried that AI systems might prevent American military personnel from taking necessary lethal action based on the technology’s programmed sense of ethics. Arizona Democrat Yassamin Ansari brought up multiple issues including the Trump administration’s AI use in the Iran conflict, the technology’s heavy energy consumption, and climate implications.
The House Oversight Committee’s subcommittee roundtable titled “Artificial Intelligence and American Power” brought together AI company executives, researchers, and corporate implementation specialists with members of Congress. This occurred while other lawmakers debated federal surveillance authority, the Iran war, and Department of Homeland Security budget matters.
The Thursday meeting highlighted how Capitol Hill leaders are struggling to keep pace with rapid technological advances that increasingly influence global events. However, the discussion soon turned to whether artificial intelligence might overshadow all other national challenges.
“People in our districts across this country are going to start feeling impacts very soon, and if we don’t start thinking properly and aggressively and proactively about the challenges that AI creates, I fear that we’re going to have a revolution on our hands,” said California Democrat Dave Min.
Florida Democrat Maxwell Frost, the subcommittee’s ranking minority member, acknowledged AI’s potential to eliminate diseases and strengthen the economy. However, Frost, who holds the distinction of being Congress’s youngest member, expressed concern that the technology’s advancement would outstrip lawmakers’ ability to respond, potentially creating catastrophic outcomes without early intervention.
“I don’t have faith in this institution to actually put the common sense guardrails in place. And then we fast forward ten years, and the house is on fire,” said Frost. “That won’t be good for anybody, whether it’s the industry or working families and people, or this institution itself.”
Missouri Republican Eric Burlison opened the meeting by commending the industry and expressing amazement at how one panelist’s organization employed AI to streamline and accelerate production processes in their manufacturing facilities.
“It’s truly like the closest thing to Star Trek I’ve ever seen,” Burlison remarked. He subsequently asked about strategies congressional districts could use to attract AI companies as business partners.
Several participants also expressed concern about revelations from technology companies like Anthropic, which recently revealed its Mythos AI system possesses such advanced capabilities that the company is restricting access to selected clients due to its apparent ability to circumvent standard cybersecurity measures and penetrate major institutions including financial institutions, government departments, and large corporations.
“I recognize AI is not going anywhere,” said Arizona Republican Eli Crane, a former Navy SEAL with combat experience. “That being said, does anyone on this panel feel or believe, in any way, that as we are going down the road in this AI race, we might be simultaneously engineering our own destruction?”
The gathered specialists and business representatives emphasized AI’s extensive and expanding abilities. Along with their policy suggestions, they encouraged lawmakers to approach policy-making with careful consideration and thorough knowledge.
Mark Beall, who serves as president of government affairs at AI Policy Network Inc. and previously worked at the Pentagon, cautioned that Congress could jeopardize America’s AI leadership position by failing to address critical national security issues.
“I don’t think it’s going to kill us,” Robert Atkinson, who founded the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation technology think tank, told the assembled lawmakers.
“At the same time, I do think it’s important for the federal government to seriously fund AI safety research,” Atkinson continued. “We need to know a lot more about how the models work.”
When lawmakers questioned whether AI firms were acting responsibly, George Washington University law professor Spencer Overton said the incentives for AI companies “are really what they should be.”
“Constituents are looking for you, not for companies, to step up and protect them,” Overton said. “They’re trusting you, the person that they voted for, to do that, as opposed to companies. That’s the way the system works, right?”
