US Senator Bernie Sanders on Tuesday took aim at the Trump administration's failure to regulate artificial intelligence, highlighting warnings from AI researchers, tech executives, and safety advocates about advanced models posing existential risks to humanity. Speaking at an event in Washington DC, the independent senator from Vermont remarked, "There has been inaction under both Democratic and Republican-controlled Congresses. Now we have a president whose ignorance on this issue is genuinely embarrassing."

This criticism follows a series of social media posts from former President Donald Trump, who has aggressively dismissed calls for comprehensive AI safeguards, repeatedly labeling such concerns as a "hoax." For years, numerous voices within the industry have insisted that the risks are real, urging a slowdown in the pace of technological development to allow safety measures to keep up. Over the past weekend, tech CEOs added their support for deceleration, just days after a resignation letter from an Anthropic researcher went viral, accusing leading AI firms of "gambling with our lives."

In addition to his critique, Sanders called for a pause on advanced AI development and advocated for a permanent ban on the creation of so-called superintelligence—a stage where AI capabilities surpass human control. He confirmed plans to introduce bipartisan legislation with Texas Democratic Congressman Greg Casar next week, aiming to codify these objectives into law.