Progressive Senator Bernie Sanders and conservative strategist Steve Bannon shared a Washington D.C. stage on Tuesday at the Pro-Human Assembly, uniting across political divides to denounce tech oligarchs and demand strict curbs on artificial intelligence as lawmakers debate regulatory safeguards.
An Unlikely Political Pairing Rails Against AI Leadership
A progressive independent and a prominent MAGA voice found rare common ground on Tuesday, taking to the same stage to attack the leadership of the technology sector. Left-wing socialist Bernie Sanders and former Trump White House adviser Steve Bannon both appeared at the Pro-Human Assembly event in front of nearly 300 people packed into a Washington, D.C. ballroom. While the speakers at the all-day conference showed deep divisions on policy specifics, they united in condemning the individuals currently driving the technological boom.
The gathering was organized by the Future of Life Institute, a nonprofit advocacy group that published 33 guiding principles in March. Those tenets state that humans must remain in charge of AI, retain agency and liberty, and hold tech companies accountable for the impact of their technology.
Yet the cross-ideological alliance drew immediate skepticism from media analysts. Speaking on Fox News, commentator Jessica Tarlov voiced sharp doubts about the pairing.
Jessica Tarlov of Fox News stated that she thought so and remarked that the fact he was standing shoulder to shoulder with Steve Bannon would give people even more pause.
Legislative Pushbacks and White House Treaty Hopes
During his address, Sanders warned the audience that artificial super intelligence is a threat to humanity, drawing a direct parallel to nuclear weapons. He announced that he will introduce legislation next week alongside Congressman Greg Casar to permanently ban the development of superintelligent
AI.
Bernie Sanders, U.S. Senator, stated that like nuclear weapons, artificial super intelligence is a threat to humanity and it must be treated as such.
Sanders argued that corporate leaders are driven by profits and added that society shouldn’t let developers continue to improve products if company leaders admit they are losing control of the technology. He also urged action from the executive branch, expressing hope that President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will negotiate a treaty to pause advanced AI development when they meet at the White House.
Bannon followed Sanders on stage, delivering a nationalist approach to technology policy. He asserted that tech leaders possess money and power but lack the public’s trust. Steve Bannon told the crowd that they were not doomers, but they were not going to give those guys carte blanche, adding that their arrogance was overwhelming.
Nationalist Security Demands Versus White House Pushback
Bannon outlined a strategy for dealing with geopolitical rivals, calling for curbs on any exchange of chips, tech or knowledge between the United States and China. He urged authorities to remove all Chinese nationals from the labs and send them back to mainland China.
The debate on Capitol Hill reflects a split over how to handle federal intervention. Lawmakers have pressured House Speaker Mike Johnson to pass AI safeguards. However, Johnson expressed hesitation during a weekend interview with CNN, warning that emergency congressional intervention could cede ground to international competitors.
Mike Johnson, House Speaker, stated that they could not put a moratorium on that because China would surpass them, noting that was the challenge, and warned that if Congress just rushed in and held some sort of emergency session to try to regulate AI, they would lose the race to China, which he called a threat to every single American.
The Trump administration has pushed back against calls for regulation, arguing that the U.S. must win the AI race with China. Following warnings from executives at Anthropic and OpenAI who called for a slowdown, President Trump dismissed the alarm in a social media statement on Monday.
President Trump wrote on Truth Social that AI taking over the world, destroying humanity, and all other things bad was a hoax, adding that the only guardrails needed on AI was a strong and smart (High IQ!) president.
State-Level Roadmaps and Federal Energy Legislation
While federal gridlock persists, other jurisdictions are moving forward with state policies. Tarlov pointed to California Governor Gavin Newsom’s guardrails—which include regular audits and protections for kids—as a potential road map for the federal government to follow while ensuring the technology can continue progressing.
Congress is also addressing localized strains driven by the industry’s physical footprint. Lawmakers are scheduled to vote on the Ratepayer Protection Act, a bill designed to shield Americans from spikes in energy costs tied to the construction of data centers.
What to Watch Next
Legislative battles will intensify as the House prepares to vote on the Ratepayer Protection Act. At the same time, all eyes turn toward Washington where Bernie Sanders plans to introduce his legislation to ban the development of superintelligent AI alongside Congressman Greg Casar.