WASHINGTON — In an unusual political alignment, Sen. Bernie Sanders and former President Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon are set to speak Tuesday at the “Pro-Human Assembly” in Washington, D.C., advocating for strict oversight of artificial intelligence.
The gathering highlights a growing bipartisan consensus among members of Congress that AI development requires immediate guardrails. Both the progressive senator and the conservative strategist agree on the need for a “human-centric” approach to the rapidly evolving technology.
The push for regulation follows rising alarm within the tech industry. Earlier this month, Jacob Coxon, an AI researcher at Anthropic, resigned and warned that while current models are safe, advanced AI could eventually pose an existential threat to humanity. Coxon accused companies like Anthropic and OpenAI of “gambling with our lives” in their race to build more powerful systems.
On Saturday, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for a slowdown in frontier AI development, a sentiment echoed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Elon Musk. However, President Trump has rejected these cautionary tales. Throughout Monday, Trump posted seven times on Truth Social, labeling fears about rapid AI growth as a “HOAX” and asserting that only a strong presidency is needed to manage the technology.
Despite the President’s stance, Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas told the conference that the issue transcends partisan politics. Roy cited constituents in his district who are concerned about the environmental impact of data centers, including water usage and noise pollution, as well as broader anxieties about the future of work and community stability.
“The question here is, how do you harness the power of human-created technology to put… humans first?” Roy said. He admitted to being criticized by free-enterprise allies for raising these concerns and expressed skepticism about the motives of tech CEOs, questioning whether they seek to monopolize the market.
Democratic Rep. Greg Casar, also from Texas, framed the issue through a historical lens during the same event. “We may be Americans or Soviets or Chinese, but we are still human,” Casar said, arguing for a cooperative, pro-human approach similar to diplomacy during the Cold War. “No one can end the AI arms race. It’s up to us to end the AI arms race.”
Rep. Lori Trahan, a Democrat from Massachusetts, highlighted the legislative efforts emerging from this bipartisan cooperation. She introduced the FRONTIER Act alongside Republican Rep. Jay Obernolte of California, which calls for independent evaluators of frontier AI models. Trahan stated, “Humans are not means to artificial ends. We are ends in ourselves,” though she acknowledged the challenge posed by her party’s leader opposing measures with growing legislative momentum.
CBS News polling indicates widespread public concern: 65% of Americans believe AI will reduce jobs, and 67% doubt the federal government will ensure its appropriate use.
Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance acknowledged the risks while emphasizing the need for smart regulation. “There are obviously risks to AI; there are some benefits to AI,” Vance told reporters in Kansas. House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed that he and leaders of AI companies plan to meet with President Trump at the White House within the coming week.
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I hope Congress actually passes something instead of just holding conferences. Sixty-five percent of us are worried for a reason.
My water bill already hurts. Now data centers are drinking the river? Texas constituents have a point.
Trump dismissing this while Vance acknowledges risks is confusing. Which one is actually in charge of policy here?
If researchers are resigning over existential risk, we can’t just call it a hoax. The evidence is mounting.
Sanders and Bannon in the same room? My political compass is genuinely spinning right now.