Johnson says US will win AI race — but only if two conditions are met

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is calling for a national framework to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) — but cautioned it should not go too far.

"America will win the AI race. We will win it, if two things happen —  if government resists the siren song of control, and if industry steps up as our patriotic partner," Johnson said. "I think we can do both of those things."

The leader of the House of Representatives spoke at the Hill & Valley Forum on Tuesday, an annual bipartisan meeting of lawmakers and private sector leaders to discuss American AI innovation.

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He told attendees on Capitol Hill that Congress had "three things" it needed to accomplish regarding AI.

"The first thing is, we have to deliver a single national framework that protects children, safeguards communities, supports creators, and avoids a patchwork of state regulations," Johnson said. "We recognize that constant shifts in policy don't just confuse the market, they run contrary to our national interest."

He said lawmakers "will utilize existing structures to establish safeguards and rules of the road, so to speak, without smothering the whole marketplace with red tape."

The second thing, Johnson said, was to treat AI technology as a matter of national security in keeping it in the hands of the U.S. and its allies rather than the country's adversaries.

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The final task the speaker mentioned is a duty to "move at the speed that victory demands."

It comes days after President Donald Trump released his own framework for AI regulations that includes more guardrails against self-harm and sexual exploitation for AI platforms accessed by children, streamlining permitting for AI data centers, and preventing AI from being used to silence free speech, among other measures.

The proposal would need to be drafted as legislation by congressional lawmakers and passed by both chambers to be able to affect any meaningful change.

Trump also issued a moratorium on states' abilities to enact their own AI regulations late last year.