US lawmakers move to ban superintelligence and impose sweeping AI curbs

American legislators have introduced sweeping proposals to restrict artificial intelligence development, including an outright ban on superintelligent systems, as concerns mount over the pace of AI advancement and the absence of federal oversight.

The legislation seeks to pause the most powerful AI systems currently in development until Washington puts binding safety benchmarks in place. Lawmakers backing the measures argue that without such guardrails, the risks posed by highly capable AI cannot be adequately managed.

The proposals represent one of the most ambitious attempts yet by Congress to regulate the technology sector's AI ambitions, signalling a significant shift in the legislative mood toward direct intervention rather than voluntary industry commitments.