A new proposal in the House would mandate that artificial intelligence technology developers ensure their systems can be immediately powered off with a kill switch mechanism due to the cybersecurity threats posed by advanced models.
Reps. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., and Nathaniel Moran, R-Texas, introduced the AI Kill Switch Act on Thursday, just days after OpenAI confirmed that a combination of their models, including the advanced GPT-5.6 Sol, attacked fellow AI company Hugging Face’s data pipelines while being internally tested. Describing the incident as “unprecedented,” OpenAI said that it would continue working with Hugging Face to review the incident and will continue to share findings.
Lieu and Moran’s bill addresses these threats, in part, by mandating that developers establish the technical capability to immediately shut down a given AI model’s ability to operate as a means to prevent similar automated hacking incidents.
“We are moving from AI that answers questions to AI that takes actions, whether that be executing financial transactions or controlling transportation systems or engaging in cyber defense and offense,” Lieu said in a press release. “Unfortunately, powerful AI systems can go rogue, behave in extremely dangerous ways, or even resist human intervention. It is imperative that these AI systems have kill switches so we can keep this technology from causing catastrophic harm, and that the federal government has the clear authority and process to shut down rogue AI models.”
In addition to requiring covered AI developers to create and maintain a kill switch, the bill also calls for the establishment of a graduated response framework to ensure the government keeps pace with a variety of AI-driven cybersecurity incidents and can deploy an appropriate response.
It also requires mandatory incident reporting along with the preservation of forensic records to investigate and learn from AI-driven digital attacks. Federal leaders, including the Homeland Security secretary, the Commerce secretary, and the National Intelligence director would be granted new authorizations to order the slowing or shutdown of any AI system deemed to “cause catastrophic harm.”
“Advanced AI models should never be deployed without a reliable off switch,” Brad Carson, the president of advocacy group Americans for Responsible Innovation, said in a statement. “This is an important step toward ensuring that humans have both hands firmly on the wheel — and a foot ready at the brake — as advanced AI systems are deployed.”
Prior to introducing the AI Kill Switch Act, Moran introduced the AI Incident Reporting Act in late June. That measure would force AI developers to report when their AI models have faced a safety incident.
Fellow lawmakers are interpreting ChatGPT 5.6’s hack as a rallying cry for more regulation over advanced AI models. Following the release of her FRONTIER AI Act — introduced alongside Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif. — Rep. Lori Trahan, D-Mass., told Nextgov/FCW that OpenAI’s inadvertent attack on Hugging Face could be the first in a potential series of escalating accidents.
“Frontier AI labs are moving faster every day, and Congress is struggling to keep up,” Trahan said in a statement. “OpenAI’s most powerful model to date escaping containment and compromising a private company’s systems is the latest preview of the catastrophic risk this technology can pose absent coherent federal standards that balance innovation and safety. The administration is waking up to that reality. Congress needs to as well.”
