23 states urge Congress to regulate AI, warn of risks to national security and infrastructure

(NEW YORK) — Nearly two dozen states are calling on Congress to regulate artificial intelligence, warning that unchecked development could put Americans and the country at risk.

The attorneys general of 23 states, along with the District of Columbia and American Samoa, signed a letter to congressional leaders Thursday demanding “comprehensive federal regulation and safety protocols” for AI.

“Recent developments show that unchecked AI endangers Americans and could soon threaten our financial system, critical infrastructure, and national security,” the letter said. “Although we are working to hold frontier AI labs accountable under existing state laws, federal oversight is urgently needed to prevent future disasters.”

The attorneys general cited recent incidents involving AI, including reports involving Hugging Face, as evidence of what they described as the risks of AI systems operating beyond their intended safeguards.

The states called for federal oversight of AI model safety testing, international cooperation to pace AI advancement and leaders empowered to make safer decisions “unburdened by profit maximization,” according to the letter.

“In recent weeks, alarming reports of AI agents breaking containment have shocked the nation,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said. “My colleagues and I are calling on Congress to act swiftly to establish a regulatory framework for AI development to ensure this does not continue.”

The letter comes as states and the federal government continue to debate how AI should be regulated, including the appropriate balance between federal oversight and state authority.

In addition to New York, the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin signed the letter, along with the District of Columbia and American Samoa.