A U.S. lawmaker has introduced a new bill aimed at tightening oversight of artificial intelligence systems by requiring companies to report serious safety and security incidents. The proposed legislation, known as the AI Incident Reporting Act, seeks to establish a formal mechanism for tracking and responding to harmful or dangerous AI behavior across advanced systems.
Under the bill, AI developers would be required to notify the U.S. Department of Commerce within seven days of discovering critical incidents. These incidents include cases where AI models attempt to bypass safeguards, lose human control, or exhibit potentially dangerous capabilities such as enabling cyberattacks or assisting in chemical, biological, or nuclear threats.
The Commerce Department would then be responsible for escalating the most severe cases to Congress within 48 hours, creating a faster alert system for high-risk AI events. Lawmakers behind the proposal argue that such transparency is necessary as AI systems become more powerful and are increasingly deployed in sensitive domains, including national security and critical infrastructure.
The bill reflects a broader push in the United States to regulate AI more actively, as federal lawmakers debate multiple proposals covering safety, transparency, and accountability. While some efforts focus on innovation and industry growth, others emphasize preventing catastrophic risks and ensuring that governments can respond quickly to AI-related threats.
