Obama, Harris call for AI slowdown
Former U.S. President Barack Obama and former Vice President Kamala Harris have called for stronger oversight of artificial intelligence as industry leaders warn about the pace of its development, reports a Qazinform News Agency correspondent.
“I was encouraged this week to see the leaders of the frontier labs agree on the need for them to slow down the pace of AI development,” Obama wrote on X. He described the move as a necessary first step but said decisions about AI’s future should be part of a wider public debate.
In a separate statement, Obama urged leaders in Washington to develop laws addressing safety, jobs and children, while ensuring the technology’s benefits are widely shared. He said AI could deliver breakthroughs in medicine, energy and education, but its impact would depend on decisions made now.
“The frontier of artificial intelligence is advancing at an alarming speed,” Harris wrote on X. “A slowdown is critical in order to ensure AI serves the public interest.”
Harris called on Congress to pass new laws and establish a federal body to oversee and independently test advanced AI systems. She also urged international cooperation on safety standards, while saying the United States should continue to lead in developing the technology.
The calls follow a proposal by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei to slow AI development, backed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Elon Musk.
President Donald Trump has rejected the calls, describing fears that AI could threaten humanity as a “HOAX” and warning that tighter restrictions could undermine US technological leadership.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that US President Donald Trump had dismissed growing warnings about the risks of artificial intelligence, stressing that Washington must maintain its technological lead over China.
