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Republicans clash on Senate floor over AI kill switch

Rand Paul said Congress should study advanced AI first, blocking a unanimous-consent bid that would have required developers to add emergency shutoff tools.

  • On Wednesday, Republican Sen. Rand Paul blocked an effort by Republican Sen. John Kennedy to pass legislation requiring developers of advanced AI systems to include a "kill switch" designed to stop dangerous models.
  • Comparing AI models to "The Terminator," Kennedy argued his bill serves as an "emergency shutoff" rather than federal control, ensuring developers retain responsibility for stopping rogue systems.
  • Paul objected to the proposal, calling the language "very vague" and proposing a bipartisan committee to study the issue rather than imposing broad regulations on the entire economy without debate.
  • Because the measure required unanimous consent from all 100 senators, the bill failed, prompting Kennedy to state, "We are not going to get off of our ice-cold, lazy butts, and address this anytime soon."
  • A separate House bill, the Kill Switch Act, would expand these requirements and grant the Department of Homeland Security shutdown authority, though President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson argue federal intervention could weaken U.S. competitiveness against China.
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  • 34% of the sources lean Left, 33% of the sources are Center, 33% of the sources lean Right
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Conservative Daily News broke the news on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.
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