Michigan lawmakers raise concerns about AI risks as Senate candidates call for safeguards - ClickOnDetroit | WDIV Local 4

Artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly, prompting lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to raise concerns about how the technology could affect public safety, the economy, and national security.

The concerns include the potential use of AI in cyberattacks or the creation of biological weapons, as well as the possibility of humans losing control of increasingly powerful AI systems.

Some AI researchers and industry leaders have called for slowing development to give policymakers time to address potential risks.

President Donald Trump has pushed back against calls for additional guardrails in a Truth Social post, saying AI does not need more controls.

Michigan lawmakers discuss AI risks

Republican state Rep. Steve Carra, whose district includes St. Joseph and Cass counties, said concerns about catastrophic risks require serious discussion.

“I don’t know anybody who is for smaller government than I am. But when it comes to things like wiping out humanity, I think we need to have the serious conversations,” Carra said.

Democratic state Rep. Penelope Tsernoglou of East Lansing said she has been raising concerns about artificial intelligence for the past four years.

“We put regulations on political deepfakes my first term, and then my second term, I worked on banning AI-generated explicit images. And right now, I’m working on regulating AI surveillance in the workplace, so people may or may not know, but in a lot of workplaces now, AI is being used to see, you know, what you’re doing,” Tsernoglou said.

What Michigan’s AI bill would do

Local 4 reviewed AI-related legislation at the state Capitol and found Michigan House Bill 4668, the Artificial Intelligence Safety and Security Transparency Act.

The bill would require large AI developers to create safety plans and would allow fines of up to $1 million per violation.

It also addresses risks involving cyberattacks, biological or chemical weapons, and other potential catastrophic harms.

HB 4668 has not received a floor vote and remains in committee.

Tsernoglou said AI could bring benefits, but also serious risks if it is not properly controlled.

“There’s a lot of good things, but there’s also a lot of bad things that could happen if it’s not in the right hands or if it’s not properly regulated,” Tsernoglou said.

Carra says debate should go beyond data centers

Carra said much of the public discussion about artificial intelligence has focused on data centers.

He said lawmakers and the public also need to consider the broader risks posed by increasingly capable AI systems.

“A lot of people are concerned about the environmental impacts, the amount of power that data centers use, but I think that they should level up and look at the fact that if we’re not careful, this could be what destroys humanity,” Carra said.

Senate candidates call for stronger AI safeguards

Michigan’s two U.S. Senate candidates also weighed in on the debate over AI regulation.

Republican candidate Mike Rogers said the government needs to act quickly to address potential AI risks.

“We must slow down development of AI in order to allow the government and its partners to catch up and put stricter protocols and guardrails in place,” Rogers said in a statement.

Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed also called for a pause in development.

“AI development is moving faster than our ability to assure its safety. It’s time to hit pause until we can assure it won’t…destroy us,” El-Sayed said in a statement.