Ted Cruz Seeks Probe into European Influence on US AI Laws

Republican Senator Ted Cruz has called on U.S. officials to examine whether European governments have attempted to unduly shape American laws on artificial intelligence (AI). In a letter sent to Attorney General Merrick Garland on November 21 and made public on Monday, Cruz expressed concerns about foreign influence over domestic policy, describing European AI regulations as “onerous” and attributing them to the “radical left,” according to Reuters.

Cruz, a prominent figure in the Republican Party and a former presidential candidate, has been a strong critic of President Joe Biden’s approach to regulating technology. His letter highlights what he perceives as growing international efforts to sway US policies on AI, pointing to recent agreements and collaborations between the Biden administration and European governments as potential examples of such influence.

The European Union has taken a leading role in developing AI regulations, recently passing the AI Act, the first comprehensive legislation aimed at governing AI technology. Cruz suggested that this legislative approach might be seeping into U.S. policy discussions through cooperative agreements, including a memorandum of understanding with the United Kingdom and a broader treaty with multiple European nations.

“At the very least, the American people have a right to know what foreign actors are trying to impose these radical regulations on American companies,” Cruz stated in his letter.

Britain, which hosted the inaugural global AI safety summit last year, has also been active in promoting international collaboration on AI regulation. The event brought together global leaders, tech executives, and academics to discuss unified approaches to AI governance. Since then, several nations have established AI safety institutes that facilitate cross-border sharing of expertise.

Additionally, Cruz raised concerns about the Centre for the Governance of Artificial Intelligence (GovAI), a UK-based nonprofit that co-hosted a recent summit on AI policy in San Francisco. He claimed that the organization had not complied with U.S. laws requiring entities engaged in political activities on behalf of foreign interests to register as foreign agents.

This call for an investigation reflects broader debates in the U.S. about balancing the opportunities and risks posed by AI technology while maintaining sovereignty over policy decisions. As global collaboration on AI intensifies, the question of foreign influence on U.S. regulatory frameworks remains a contentious issue.

Source: Reuters