Rep. Panetta and Bipartisan Group of Members Urge the Administration to Lead on AI Safety and Security

September 25, 2026 Press Release Washington, D.C. – United States Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) and members of the bipartisan Congressional Working Group on Artificial Intelligence and Evolving Technologies wrote a letter to President Donald Trump urging the Administration to lead international efforts to establish clear standards for the safe and secure development of advanced artificial intelligence (AI). The letter to President Trump comes as he meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping. As the United States works to maintain its global leadership in AI, the Working Group called for stronger U.S.-China coordination on AI safety, including testing and incident reporting, and clear consequences for AI-enabled cyber activity targeting American critical infrastructure. The lawmakers emphasized that America can protect its national security, strengthen its technological leadership, and set the rules of the road for emerging technology at the same time. “The United States leads the world in AI, and we intend to keep it that way. But if we do not lead in setting global standards for advanced AI development, our adversaries will,” wrote the lawmakers. “In contemplation of your September 24th meeting with President Xi Jinping, we respectfully request that you prioritize a coordinated international effort on AI safety and security, beginning with China.” Full text of the letter is available here and below: Dear Mr. President, The bipartisan Problem Solver’s Congressional AI and Evolving Technologies Working Group recognizes the rapid advance of frontier AI and the need for American leadership in setting the international rules to govern it. Leading American AI developers have consistently warned that the most capable models are developing capabilities that carry serious national security risks. These include enabling sophisticated cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, lowering the barriers to developing biological and chemical weapons, and increasing the risk of miscalculation in a military crisis The United States leads the world in AI, and we intend to keep it that way. But if we do not lead in setting global standards for advanced AI development, our adversaries will. In contemplation of your September 24th meeting with President Xi Jinping, we respectfully request that you prioritize a coordinated international effort on AI safety and security, beginning with China. Specifically, we ask that the meeting advance the following objectives: 1. Endorse and elevate the U.S.-China AI dialogue your Administration proposed this week, securing President Xi’s personal commitment to it at the leader level. 2. Press President Xi to commit to coordinating on AI safety principles, including safety testing and incident reporting measures built on American standards. 3. Make clear that AI-enabled cyber activity against American critical infrastructure is unacceptable. The United States and China have taken a first step together before: at last year's APEC summit in Lima, both nations affirmed that decisions on the use of nuclear weapons must remain under human control. The United States wrote the rules of the road for nuclear safety and civil aviation without sacrificing our strength at home. We must do the same for AI. We look forward to working together in a bipartisan fashion on this critical national security issue. Sincerely, ###