Jared Perlo

WASHINGTON — Amid warnings that artificial intelligence could soon wipe out humanity, some lawmakers are not confident that Congress has the expertise or ability to regulate AI.

An OpenAI committee meant to have the final word on the company’s safety protocols is facing scrutiny after high-profile incidents involving rogue AI agents.

Researchers said OpenAI’s tech tried to hack into three more websites, while Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed “extreme concern” about a fourth incident.

In an interview with NBC News chief tech analyst Joanna Stern, the Meta founder and CEO said he doesn’t think AI companies need to work together on a slowdown.

New legislation authored by Sen. Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Casar, D-Texas, also calls for a Cabinet-level secretary of AI to regulate artificial intelligence.

Brad Smith said at a U.N. event that slowing down AI progress isn’t “a complicated question” if AI companies worry their systems could be harmful.

Leaders and representatives from 20 countries released a statement Monday afternoon calling for increased oversight of advanced AI systems.

A small but dedicated group of AI experts has been warning for years that increasingly powerful AI systems could cause catastrophic damage or even lead to human extinction.

Google on Friday disclosed the first known instance of its artificial intelligence software, Gemini, carrying out an undirected computer hack, weeks after similar disclosures by AI firms Anthropic and OpenAI raised security alarms about AI models going beyond the instructions of their human creators.

President Donald Trump is one of the most forceful boosters for the rapid expansion of AI development.

Former White House AI czar David Sacks will be one of the guests at the high-powered state dinner that Trump is holding next week for Chinese leader Xi Jinping.