Mike Johnson Rejects AI Moratorium, Cites China Competition

Congress Won't Slow AI Development, Johnson Says

House Speaker Mike Johnson rejected calls for a national moratorium on artificial intelligence development during a September 13 CNN appearance, placing responsibility for AI safety squarely on technology companies rather than federal regulators.

The Louisiana Republican acknowledged "obvious corporate responsibility" for ensuring AI products are safe but argued that regulatory intervention would hand competitive advantage to China. Johnson cited a September 12 social media post from White House AI advisor David Sacks that similarly placed the burden on industry leaders to protect the public.

"We cannot put a moratorium on this because China will overlap us, and that's the challenge," Johnson told CNN's "State of the Union." "If Congress just races in and does some sort of emergency session to try to regulate AI, we will lose the race to China, and that is a threat to every single American."

Why It Matters

The Speaker's position sets up a direct conflict with growing public anxiety about AI infrastructure and safety risks just weeks before midterm elections where AI has emerged as a defining issue. With 69% of Americans opposing data center construction in their communities according to NBC polling, Johnson's hands-off stance could prove politically costly in districts where AI development has become contentious.

Industry Leaders Call for Caution

Johnson's comments came amid escalating warnings from AI company executives themselves. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei published an essay calling for greater precautions, comparing AI's potential to curing cancer while acknowledging serious risks. Both OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Elon Musk, who runs xAI, endorsed Amodei's call for safeguards and slower development.

The debate intensified after Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon resigned, stating that "people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade."

President Donald Trump dismissed these concerns during a September 13 appearance in Ireland, attributing industry opposition to "negative forces." Trump has previously advocated for rapid AI development, warning communities that rejecting data centers would leave them "backwards and poor."

Democrats Push Back

Democratic leaders responded swiftly to Johnson's position. Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego compared AI's threat level to nuclear weapons, noting that "AI has the capability" for autonomous decision-making that nuclear weapons lack.

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg called congressional inaction "deeply dangerous" on NBC's "Meet the Press," while Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told ABC's "This Week" that AI would be a "high priority" when the Democratic caucus convenes.

Political Implications

Artificial intelligence infrastructure has become central to midterm campaigns, with political forecasters projecting Johnson could lose the speakership. A May Gallup survey found 70% of Americans oppose building data centers in their communities, including 48% who strongly oppose them—numbers that suggest Johnson's regulatory restraint may not align with voter sentiment.

These details were first reported by USA TODAY.