Bernie Sanders Urges Trump and Xi to Negotiate Global AI Treaty

The call follows a rare consensus among tech leaders Dario Amodei of Anthropic, Sam Altman of OpenAI, and Elon Musk of xAI, who recently advocated for pacing the frontier of AI research. While these executives suggest a more measured approach, Sanders argues that the existential threat posed by autonomous, superintelligent systems requires an immediate, full-stop intervention. He compared the current trajectory to racing toward a cliff, asserting that easing off the gas pedal is a dangerous half-measure.

Sanders, who recently introduced legislation seeking a permanent ban on AI systems capable of operating beyond human control, believes the upcoming bilateral summit between Washington and Beijing represents the final opportunity to prevent a technological catastrophe. Amodei’s initial proposal, which triggered the industry debate, cited risks ranging from bioterrorism and cyberattacks to total loss of control over systems driven by commercial incentives. While Musk and Altman have signaled support for third-party evaluators and operational transparency, Sanders remains focused on a structural, state-level prohibition of the most advanced models.