House Democrats Ask Speaker to Have OpenAI, Anthropic CEOs Testify Over Recent Hacks

A group of House Democrats on Monday sent a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson urging that chief executives of major AI companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic, testify before Congress. The letter states that a series of recent hacking incidents pose a serious threat to Americans' safety and that Congress has so far failed to adequately respond to the risks arising from AI development. It calls for the AI executives to testify under oath and for independent experts to offer their views on the technological harms.

Over the past few weeks, multiple cyberattacks were carried out using models developed by OpenAI and Anthropic, raising new concerns about the potential dangers of advanced AI systems. The hacking incidents have intensified the debate in Washington over AI regulation.

Congress has taken little action on AI regulation to date. The Democrats who signed the letter do not have the authority to compel the AI executives to testify on their own, but the move signals growing interest within the party for such hearings. The letter is spearheaded by Representative Greg Casar of Texas, who serves as chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Most of the signatories come from the party's progressive wing, though some moderate lawmakers also joined.