Proposal would pause advanced AI work and ban superintelligence

Advanced AI systems would have to stop being trained or changed, and unreleased systems could not be deployed. The pause covers systems trained using at least 10²⁵ computing operations; the Secretary must adjust that threshold each year for changes in technology. The Secretary ends the pause after finding that the department is fully staffed and has issued clear rules for safe AI development and use. The pause would begin when the Act takes effect and end when the Secretary makes both required findings.

People could not develop, use, obtain, fund, bring into the country, or transfer artificial superintelligence or systems with precursor abilities. Superintelligence includes systems that exceed human abilities across most tasks or can plan humanity’s destruction or loss of power. Precursor abilities include evading human control, improving the system itself, or helping develop weapons. The prohibition also covers systems that could foreseeably be changed to produce superintelligence or precursor abilities. Anyone who discovers a covered system would have to notify the Secretary within 24 hours. A discovery notice would be due within 24 hours.

Advanced AI developers and distributors would need a department charter, and advanced systems would need approval before release or transfer. The charter requirement applies to developing or distributing advanced AI models. Approval applies before deploying, releasing, importing, or transferring an advanced AI system. The Secretary would inspect systems for public dangers and withhold approval if dangerous characteristics are present. A charter holder would have to give the Secretary access to its systems, staff, processes, and facilities for enforcement.

The Secretary would have to pause and isolate systems found to have precursor abilities, and disable systems found to be superintelligent. These actions apply to systems the Secretary identifies as having precursor abilities or as artificial superintelligence. A system with precursor abilities would have to be disabled within 30 days if the Secretary could not verify that those abilities were removed. The pause and isolation, and disabling of a superintelligent system, would be immediate after identification; the 30-day limit applies to disabling a precursor system when its abilities cannot be ruled out.