House members urge immediate session to pass AI safeguards

House Speaker Mike Johnson is being urged by members of both parties to bring back the House and keep it in session until Congress passes AI safeguards, according to a letter circulating among House members. The letter, obtained by Axios, calls for the House to 'return to Washington immediately and remain in session until Congress advances meaningful, bipartisan AI safeguards.' This comes after current and former Anthropic researchers warned that AI could pose an existential threat to humanity within the next decade. Despite growing pressure from rank-and-file members, congressional leadership has remained largely silent. The letter highlights bipartisan AI regulation proposals, stating they 'deserve consideration, public debate, thoughtful amendment, and action.' It concludes with a dire warning: 'To our children who will have read a post-apocalyptic history, 'Why Congress Slept' — likely written by agentic AI — our inaction will be inexplicable, and unforgivable.'