Sen. Bernie Sanders Urges Trump and Xi to Negotiate Global AI Treaty

Sanders characterized the proposed treaty as the “deal of the century,” urging Trump to use his reputation as a dealmaker to reach out to China directly.
The proposed Trump-Xi agreement would be discussed at an upcoming bilateral AI summit, where Sanders said the leaders should negotiate before it is too late.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said pacing AI development had been a major topic of internal discussions at OpenAI and pledged to give independent evaluators employee-like access to its systems.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s call for slowing AI was presented as a response to specific dangers from advanced models, including severe economic disruption, loss of control, and potential misuse for biological terrorism or cyberattacks; he also warned that commercial pressure could create a race to the bottom in safety.
Elon Musk endorsed Amodei’s position in a post on X, writing, “Dario is right,” and added that he had been warning about AI risks for a long time.
Sen. Bernie Sanders is urging President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to negotiate a binding global treaty that would pause advanced AI development and ban superintelligence—systems smarter than humans that operate beyond human control. IJR reports Sanders called the potential pact the "deal of the century," framing it as a race-to-the-bottom prevention measure that could head off catastrophic risks like loss of control, cyberattacks, and biological misuse.
The push from Sanders aligns with warnings from major AI leaders. New York Times reports that Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and xAI CEO Elon Musk have all called for slowing frontier AI development. Yet Trump has taken the opposite stance, dismissing new limits and insisting that a smart president is all the guardrail needed.
Sanders wants Trump to use his dealmaker reputation to approach Xi directly before the upcoming bilateral AI summit. IJR reports the senator framed the accord as urgent—"before it is too late"—and defined superintelligence as the key target: AI systems that surpass human intelligence and operate outside human oversight.
Sanders has also introduced separate legislation seeking a permanent U.S. ban on superintelligent AI, though the bill's full text remains unreleased. The proposal goes further than industry calls for mere "pacing." Sanders argues that slowing development isn't enough—a binding global agreement is essential.
Anthropic's Amodei framed AI slowdown as a response to specific dangers: severe economic disruption, loss of control over advanced systems, and potential misuse for biological terrorism or cyberattacks. New York Times reports he warned that commercial pressure could trigger a "race to the bottom in safety," where companies cut corners to stay competitive.
Elon Musk echoed this concern. He posted on X: "Dario is right," and noted he had been warning about AI risks for years. Meanwhile, OpenAI's Altman said pacing AI development has been a major internal topic and pledged to give independent evaluators employee-like access to OpenAI's systems for oversight.
Trump has rejected industry pleas for tighter rules. New York Times reports the President stated that a smart president is the only guardrail needed against AI threats. He criticized what he called a "sick conspiracy" against AI and data centers, emphasizing that the U.S. already leads China in the technology race.
Perth Now reports Trump insists the United States has existing legal tools to regulate and prosecute AI companies if misuse occurs. His stance prioritizes American competitive advantage over global cooperation—a sharp contrast to Sanders' treaty approach and the safety-focused positions of AI executives.
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