Over 40 faith leaders urge Congress not to include preemption in the NDAA
On Monday, a coalition of 43 faith leaders sent a letter to Congress, urging lawmakers not to preempt state AI laws in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The letter, led by the Word & Wisdom coalition, highlighted the consequences of freezing state laws as rapid innovation in AI poses risks to the dignity of work, human intellect, the boundaries of consent, and the social compact. The letter includes voices from many different denominations, with leaders from groups including The National Association of Evangelicals, Mormon Women for Ethical Government, the Jewish Earth Alliance, and Liberty Counsel.
Read the full letter from faith leaders.
From today’s letter:
“Such a prohibition would not create order. It would create silence—locking out communities of faith and conscience, local lawmakers, and civil society voices from shaping how AI impacts our schools, courts, hospitals, and homes. This approach risks not only leaving the governance of AI to be determined primarily by the interests of large tech actors but also removing the power of the American people, through their elected representatives, to pursue morally sound policy decisions.”
New polling from the Institute for Family Studies finds that Americans oppose adding AI preemption to the NDAA by a 3-to-1 margin. Majorities across parties, ages, and income levels reject blocking states from regulating AI.
Earlier today, in a separate letter, a coalition of state lawmakers urged Congress to oppose inclusion of AI law preemption in the NDAA. For a live tracker of lawmakers and thought leaders speaking out against the AI law preemption proposal, visit NoAILawBan.org.
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Americans for Responsible Innovation (ARI) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to policy advocacy in the public interest, focused on emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). Learn more at ARI.us.