Technology
Anthropic's draft bill would let US block AI models facing imminent risk
A confidential draft pitched to Congress would let the Commerce Department seek a court halt for imminent risks of 50-plus deaths or $1 billion in damages.
The short version
- Anthropic has privately pitched Capitol Hill lawmakers on a draft bill covering the safety and security of advanced AI models.[Business Insider]
- Under the draft, the government could block a model only over a foreseeable, imminent risk of more than 50 deaths or serious injuries, or over $1 billion in damages.[Business Insider]
- Qualifying risks must involve a biological weapon, a cyberattack, or a model evading developer controls, and the Commerce Department would need a D.C. federal judge to halt a model.[Business Insider · TechCrunch]
- An Anthropic spokesperson confirmed the draft; its language reportedly mirrors California's SB 53, and reporting describes no formal introduction.[Business Insider · TechCrunch]
Key facts
- Anthropic has pitched a confidential draft AI safety bill to Capitol Hill lawmakers, according to reporting based on anonymous sources.[Business Insider]
- The draft would allow a block on an AI model only for a foreseeable, imminent risk of over 50 deaths or serious injuries, or over $1 billion in damages.[Business Insider · TechCrunch]
- Qualifying risks must stem from a biological weapon, a cyberattack, or a model evading its developer's controls.[Business Insider · TechCrunch]
- Independent evaluators registered with the Commerce Department would have 72 hours to report imminent enumerated risks.[Business Insider · TechCrunch]
- Only the Commerce Department could ask a D.C. federal judge to halt a model, and other agencies are explicitly barred from suspending it.[Business Insider · TechCrunch]
- An Anthropic spokesperson confirmed the draft and said it reflects proposals the company has advocated with lawmakers since June.[Business Insider · TechCrunch]
- The bill's language reportedly mirrors that of California's SB 53, a state AI law.[Business Insider · TechCrunch]
What remains uncertain
- The bill is a confidential draft; reporting does not describe any formal introduction, committee action, or likelihood of passage.[Business Insider · TechCrunch]
- The initial account relies on anonymous sources describing private deliberations, so the details of the draft are not independently confirmed.[Business Insider]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.