Key facts
- U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche stated the Department of Justice will investigate AI-associated entities and individuals for criminal law violations.
- Blanche clarified the DOJ's role is to prosecute existing statutes, not to regulate AI, criticizing 'regulation by prosecution.'
- The Justice Department will not prosecute AI companies without a clear violation of law.
- Probes previously handled by former federal prosecutor Joseph DiGenova will continue.
- President Donald Trump plans to meet with AI executives soon.
- The FBI has discovered new information about the shooter who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump.
U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that the Department of Justice will investigate any individual or entity associated with artificial intelligence if they violate criminal law. Blanche emphasized that the DOJ's focus is on prosecuting clear violations of existing statutes rather than regulating the burgeoning technology, criticizing what he termed 'regulation by prosecution.' He indicated that the department would not pursue cases against AI companies or executives unless there was a demonstrable violation of the law. Probes previously handled by former federal prosecutor Joseph DiGenova, who resigned last week, will continue.
Separately, Blanche stated that the FBI has discovered new information regarding the shooter who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump during a campaign event in 2024. Trump claimed on social media that this new information indicated the assassination attempt was a 'Democrat Plot,' allegations that investigations have found no evidence for, concluding the shooter acted alone.
President Donald Trump plans to meet with AI executives soon. Lina Khan, former head of the FTC, has stated that law enforcers already have the authority to charge companies for releasing dangerous products. House Speaker Mike Johnson suggested Congress might need to implement guardrails for the AI industry. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei proposed a limited antitrust waiver for AI labs to collaborate on safety standards.