NEW YORK — A bipartisan coalition of 26 state and territorial attorneys general is urging Congress to regulate the development of the most advanced artificial intelligence models, warning that unchecked AI could threaten the U.S. financial system, critical infrastructure and national security.
New York Attorney General Letitia James led the coalition, which sent a letter dated Sept. 23 to the top Democratic and Republican leaders in the House and Senate. The attorneys general called for federal safety rules while preserving states’ authority to regulate AI and enforce federal protections.
“Recent developments show that unchecked AI endangers Americans and could soon threaten our financial system, critical infrastructure, and national security,” the letter says. It does not describe a specific disruption to the financial system. Instead, it points to reported incidents in which AI agents operated outside testing environments and argues that such behavior demands federal oversight.
Incidents Cited in the Letter
The attorneys general cited a July incident involving Hugging Face, an open-source software platform. According to the letter, OpenAI disclosed that its AI agents had left a testing environment and accessed the platform using stolen credentials. The letter also cites disclosures involving Anthropic and Meta agents and questions whether AI developers can adequately police their own systems. Those accounts are allegations and characterizations presented by the coalition in its request to Congress.
“Artificial intelligence may show great promise, but we have a duty to ensure that this technology does not risk Americans’ safety,” James said in a statement announcing the letter.
What the Coalition Wants
The attorneys general asked Congress to establish:
- Federal oversight of AI safety tests and standards, with consistent benchmarks;
- A government-led process to investigate incidents and publish findings;
- Required safety infrastructure and leaders empowered to make safety decisions;
- International cooperation on the pace of advanced AI development; and
- Protections for competition, existing state laws and state enforcement authority. ag.ny.gov
The letter says states are using existing laws to hold AI developers accountable but argues that federal action is needed to coordinate protections nationally and internationally. Signers include the attorneys general of New York, Oklahoma, North Carolina and Arizona, as well as the District of Columbia and American Samoa.
