Ro Khanna calls for an international agreement to ban recursively self-improving AI
Ro KhannaUnited States representative for California’s 17th congressional district
Khanna called for a U.S.–China international agreement on AI safeguards, including a ban on recursively self-improving systems and controls against AI misuse in biological or nuclear weapons.
“The first ask is of Trump and Xi Jinping to come up with an international agreement. ... [B]anning any self-improving AI, recursive self-improving AI.”
Interview
Where this statement fits
Should Washington impose stronger safeguards on frontier AI?
Washington's frontier-AI safeguards dispute continued beyond September's calls for legislation. On September 29, Trump and six companies signed an accord covering internal controls, outside evaluations and board oversight, with possible later codification. Trump defended self-regulation and existing federal powers. Critics including Jon Stewart and Tom Wheeler argue that company-led oversight is insufficient. An October 9 task-force statement describes reporting and remediation as mandatory, but does not specify enforcement mechanisms or penalties. The question remains whether Washington's approach supplies adequate, enforceable safeguards while allowing continued AI development.
Source and context
Interview
About this source
CBS News’ Face the Nation transcript records Representative Ro Khanna proposing an international agreement on AI safeguards and describing a ban on recursively self-improving systems as one core principle.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
CBS host Margaret Brennan asked Khanna about his proposal for Chinese and American AI firms to cooperate while China-based firms were accused of copying U.S. technology.
After the quotation
Khanna said his letters to Chinese companies sought information and said a U.S.–China agreement should be a priority at the Trump–Xi summit.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Khanna endorsed stronger safeguards by proposing an international agreement that would prohibit recursively self-improving systems and add limits on misuse.
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The Dispute Index. "Ro Khanna calls for an international agreement to ban recursively self-improving AI". First published: 2026-09-21. Last updated: 2026-09-21. https://disputeindex.com/events/1321-khanna-called-for-a-u-s-china-international