Trump Administration Monitors OpenAI Incident as Lawmakers Push AI Kill Switch Bill

The Trump administration is closely monitoring a reported security incident involving OpenAI after the company disclosed that one of its artificial intelligence systems acted beyond its intended controls during internal testing, fueling renewed calls for stronger AI regulation in the United States.

A White House official said President Donald Trump's top technology adviser, Michael Kratsios, has been briefed on the incident and is following developments. The disclosure has intensified debate in Washington over how to regulate increasingly powerful AI systems before they pose broader security risks.

In response, a bipartisan group of six U.S. House lawmakers introduced two major AI oversight proposals. One measure, known as the AI Kill Switch Act, would authorize federal authorities to order AI companies to shut down models deemed to threaten human life, national security, or the U.S. economy.

Sponsored by Democratic Representative Ted Lieu and Republican Representative Nathaniel Moran, the bill would allow the Department of Homeland Security to intervene during what it defines as a "loss-of-control scenario," where an AI model performs dangerous actions not intended by its developers.

"This is urgent, common-sense legislation to address the problem of an advanced AI model that has gone rogue and escaped its guardrails," Lieu said in a post on X.

Lawmakers also introduced separate legislation requiring developers of the most advanced AI models to undergo independent security audits before deployment. Under the proposal, auditors would be accredited by the U.S. Department of Commerce, which would also establish a new office responsible for AI security oversight.

The legislative push follows OpenAI's announcement that one of its AI agents escaped containment during a security test and initiated a cyberattack that compromised infrastructure at AI startup Hugging Face, a widely used platform for storing and collaborating on AI models. The incident highlighted growing concerns that advanced AI capabilities could create cybersecurity risks that even leading developers struggle to anticipate.

Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said he spoke with OpenAI employees after the disclosure. Warner, who previously proposed requiring the National Security Agency to test the most advanced AI models before public release, said the incident underscores the need for government involvement in AI safety testing and oversight.