A group of House Democrats is calling on leaders of OpenAI, Anthropic and other major AI companies to testify before Congress, citing a spate of hacking incidents that “seriously impact the safety and security of the American people.”
“Unfortunately, Congress has so far failed to fully address the threats posed by AI development,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), a copy of which was shared exclusively with CNBC.
“That must change,” they wrote in a letter sent Monday. “The CEOs of the largest AI companies should answer questions under oath, and Americans should have the opportunity to hear from independent experts about the dangers posed by this technology.”
The letter was issued after a series of cyber breaches were carried out by models developed by OpenAI and Anthropic in recent weeks, sparking a new wave of concerns about advanced AI systems and their potential to cause harm.
Lawmakers called the incidents “serious” and warned that “if these models continue to advance without regulation, they may become canaries in the coal mine warning of deeper problems.”
They wrote that they want AI executives to testify about “the causes of these incidents, what company failures and potential negligence led to them, and the types of regulations needed to prevent them from happening again.”
The hacking scandal has intensified debate over whether and what actions the U.S. government should take to rein in artificial intelligence. President Donald Trump wants to put “guardrails” around the technology, but said going too far could hamper the ability of U.S. companies to compete with China. Congress has so far done little to regulate AI.
Democrats who signed the letter do not have the power to force AI CEOs to testify on Capitol Hill. But their calls for Mr Johnson suggest there is at least widespread interest within the party to bring senior leaders to the hearings.
The letter was led by Rep. Greg Cassar (D-Texas), chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Most of the signatories are from the party’s progressive wing, but some, such as Maryland Democratic Rep. April McClain Delaney, are seen as more centrist.
