WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson said today the artificial intelligence industry should regulate itself, opposing any moratorium or "hyper-regulation" from Congress. Johnson, speaking on Fox Business Network, said the United States must avoid losing the AI race to China.
Johnson emphasized the importance of continued AI innovation. He said he aligns with President Donald Trump and entrepreneur Elon Musk on the issue, advocating for a balance that prioritizes America's technological lead.
Johnson noted that corporations already bear responsibility for creating safe products. He pointed to existing product liability laws and a "labyrinth of federal regulations" that apply to companies.
Instead of "smothering this with red tape," Johnson called for "a little oversight and transparency." He described government intervention as a reflex that would be "wrong and, frankly, dangerous to national security" in the context of AI development.
Johnson confirmed an upcoming meeting tomorrow with President Trump and leaders of various AI platforms. He said the meeting has been a "long time coming" and that he has discussed it with the president several times.
President Trump, Johnson said, possesses the gravitas necessary to convene these diverse AI leaders. Johnson acknowledged that the executives hold "different ideas and prescriptions on what the supposed guardrails should be."
Johnson also suggested a potential role for the Justice Department if AI development were to "go awry." He stressed that such intervention would be necessary only after transparency and oversight measures are in place.
Speaker Johnson, who assumed his role in October 2023, previously established a bipartisan task force to examine AI. That group produced a 270-page report, but Johnson indicated that "some of that is obsolete already" because it was published months ago.
Johnson reiterated his position that a moratorium or excessive regulation is not needed. He said the conversation tomorrow will focus on striking the right balance to ensure safe AI development while maintaining innovation and America's global lead.
