House Intelligence Chairman Criticizes Sanders on AI Panel

House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Rick Crawford stated that Sen. Bernie Sanders represents a threat to national security in relation to Sanders' upcoming panel on artificial intelligence involving experts from China. ' He highlighted Sanders' history, including a trip to the Soviet Union in the late 1980s during his time as mayor of Burlington, Vermont, to establish a sister-city arrangement with Yaroslavl.

Background on the Panel Sanders, an Independent from Vermont, is set to convene the panel on Capitol Hill to discuss regulating AI development. The panel includes Xue Lan, a professor at Tsinghua University and chairman of the New Generation Artificial Intelligence Governance Professional Committee, which is closely aligned with the Chinese Communist Party, and Zeng Yi, the Dean of the Beijing Institute of AI Safety and Governance, who is linked to that same CCP-aligned panel.

Sanders stated last week that uncontrolled AI poses a severe danger to humanity and emphasized the need for international cooperation.

also commented on the panel, stating that the United States hosts the most talented AI researchers and that inviting foreign nationals to advise on regulation could hinder American innovation. The official compared it to seeking economic advice from Hugo Chavez, noting Sanders signed a letter of support to Chavez in 2003.

Crawford further noted Sanders' past actions. The Post contacted Sanders’ office for comment but did not receive a response as of the report's publication.

Stakes Sanders has advocated for a moratorium on AI data centers to allow lawmakers time to address the technology's rapid advancements. Critics argue that involving Chinese experts could benefit China's AI development at the expense of the United States. The discussion occurs amid broader U.S. concerns about AI's geopolitical implications, with the U.S. aiming to maintain leadership in the field.