Rep. Casar urges US to lead AI diplomacy, end 'arms race'

Casar's speech is scheduled for the Pro-Human Assembly in Washington, an event focused on maintaining human control over AI. He is slated to appear alongside former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon, Senator Bernie Sanders, and former White House adviser Steve Bannon.

In earlier comments on NPR, Casar emphasized the need for the U.S. to implement AI safety guardrails domestically to protect Americans while pursuing international agreements. He argued that by enacting strong U.S. rules and export controls, the country can demonstrate seriousness about potential deals with China and also slow down dangerous AI development worldwide, as Chinese models currently train on American AI models. Casar believes that the U.S. should lead not only in technology but also in AI diplomacy, suggesting it be a top priority for the United Nations.

He countered concerns that caution would lead to the U.S. losing the AI race to China, stating, "No one can win the AI arms race." Casar drew parallels to Cold War nuclear nonproliferation agreements with the Soviet Union as a precedent for international cooperation on AI.

Meanwhile, other House Democrats are circulating a letter to President Donald Trump, imploring him to lead a global effort to establish rules for AI development. The draft letter, shared with Semafor, urges the administration to engage allies and competitors like China in creating a framework for AI development and end-use. This push comes ahead of President Trump's meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, where AI is expected to be a topic of discussion. The White House has previously expressed skepticism about global governance of AI.