Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) called for immediate action on artificial intelligence (AI) Tuesday as he announced legislation that would require Big Tech companies to help fund an AI Horizon Fund aimed at supporting American workers affected by changes in the labor market.
Kelly Sounds Alarm on AI
On Tuesday, Kelly said in an X post, “When the alarms are sounding, you don’t ignore them. We have to act on AI. Now.”
He said that is why he is introducing the Make AI Work for Americans Act to “invest in American workers by taxing Big Tech.”
In a video clip shared alongside the post, Kelly said, “The signals are clear. And nobody else is coming to the rescue.”
“If we act now on AI, we can avoid a catastrophe and shape a future with more opportunity, with more security, with more of the things we want and need,” he added.
AI Horizon Fund for Workers
Kelly said the legislation would create an AI Horizon Fund, financed by money collected from the technology industry, to support workers.
“These companies are getting rich off of a technology trained on the wealth of humanity’s research, knowledge, and work,” Kelly said. “Our ideas and discoveries.”
He said the fund would provide worker training, paid service-to-career opportunities and support for Americans whose jobs disappear because of AI.
“We don’t have to choose between leading on innovation and protecting workers,” Kelly said. “We can do both.”
Lawmakers Push for Tougher AI Oversight
On Monday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) urged President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to negotiate a treaty to pause advanced AI development and ban superintelligence, warning that AI could surpass human intelligence and operate beyond human control.
Last week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said AI companies should remain accountable for their products and proposed a U.S.-China mechanism to share alerts about AI incidents that could pose national security risks.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) has called for tougher AI oversight, including a federal AI agency, mandatory insurance and stricter liability for AI developers.
He backed a federal AI agency, mandatory insurance, strict liability and tougher penalties for developers whose AI systems caused harm.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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