WASHINGTON — Efforts to establish stronger regulations for artificial intelligence in the United States are facing growing political resistance, with lawmakers divided over how much government oversight the rapidly developing technology requires.


The debate has intensified as concerns about the potential risks of increasingly powerful AI systems continue to grow, while the administration of President Donald Trump maintains that excessive regulation could undermine American innovation and competitiveness.


Trump recently dismissed warnings about AI posing an existential threat to humanity, describing such concerns as a “hoax.” His position comes as Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress, remain cautious about imposing sweeping restrictions on the technology.


Democrats, meanwhile, are calling for Congress to take more immediate action. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has urged lawmakers to remain focused on AI legislation, including measures designed to protect Americans from potential risks associated with advanced AI systems.


The issue has also attracted attention from prominent figures in the technology industry. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and other technology leaders have acknowledged the need for stronger safeguards as AI systems become more capable.


Several proposals are now being considered in Congress. They include independent safety assessments, federal oversight of advanced AI systems, government intervention when an AI model presents an imminent catastrophic risk and stricter requirements for companies developing powerful models.


However, reaching agreement has proved difficult.


Some Republicans argue that heavy-handed regulation could slow innovation and weaken the United States in its technological competition with China. Others believe that AI companies should bear greater responsibility for ensuring the safety of their systems rather than relying primarily on government regulation.


Democrats are also divided over how far federal intervention should go, making bipartisan agreement even more difficult.


With Congress facing an increasingly limited legislative window before the November midterm elections, prospects for comprehensive federal AI regulation remain uncertain.


The political deadlock has therefore left Washington confronting a difficult question: how can the United States protect the public from the potential dangers of advanced AI without stifling the innovation that has made the country a global leader in the technology?