US Congress Acts to Prevent the Use of Adversarial Artificial Intelligence in Federal Agencies

In a pivotal moment for national security and technological supremacy, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has launched a new and incisive legislative initiative. At the heart of this action is the "No Adversarial AI Act," a bipartisan bill designed to prohibit U.S. executive agencies from using Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems developed by entities linked to foreign adversaries, with a specific focus on the CCP.

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The announcement was made in conjunction with the committee's landmark hearing, titled "Authoritarians and

Algorithms: Why US AI Must Lead

The introduction of this legislation marks a significant escalation in Washington's response to China's growing influence in the AI sector. Committee Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) introduced the bill in the House, while a companion version is backed in the Senate by Senators Rick Scott (R-FL) and Gary Peters (D-MI). The bipartisan nature of the support, with House co-sponsors like Representatives Ritchie Torres (D-NY) and Darin LaHood (R-IL), underscores the perceived urgency of the threat.

The Stakes in the "New Cold War" of AI

Chairman Moolenaar clearly articulated the gravity of the situation: "We are in a new Cold War, and AI is the strategic technology at the center. The CCP does not innovate—it steals, expands, and subverts." Moolenaar cited examples ranging from intellectual property theft to chip smuggling, all the way to the integration of AI into Chinese surveillance and military platforms. His warning is direct: "We must draw a clear line: U.S. government systems cannot be powered by tools built to serve authoritarian interests."

This perspective is bolstered by recent revelations and security expert concerns that AI developed by CCP-linked companies could include backdoors or vulnerabilities exploitable for espionage, sabotage, or data manipulation. The legislation aims to prevent precisely this scenario, protecting the integrity of government operations and the sensitive nature of federal data.

Key Details of the "No Adversarial AI Act"

The bill is structured on three fundamental pillars, designed to create a robust wall of protection between adversarial AI and U.S. institutions:

• Public List: A public list of AI systems developed by foreign adversaries will be established. This list will be managed and regularly updated by the Federal Acquisition Security Council, providing transparency and clarity to agencies and suppliers.

• Prohibition on Acquisition and Use: Federal executive agencies will be prohibited from acquiring or using AI developed by adversaries. Only strictly defined exceptions are planned, such as for non-operational research purposes, specific counterterrorism activities, or mission-critical needs that cannot be otherwise met and with adequate safeguards. This prevents the integration of potentially malicious code into the government's most sensitive systems.

• Delisting Procedure: The bill includes a clear procedure for companies that can demonstrate they are free from the control or influence of foreign adversaries. This mechanism offers an exit path for entities that successfully sever problematic ties, ensuring flexibility and encouraging compliance.

Voices of Support and Broader Impact

Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi reiterated the importance of the legislation: "AI controlled by foreign adversaries poses a direct threat to our national security, our data, and our government operations. We cannot allow hostile regimes to embed their code into our most sensitive systems." He specifically mentioned Chinese and Russian AI systems as ones that "simply should not be on government devices and certainly should not be trusted with government data."

Senator Rick Scott also highlighted that "the Chinese Communist regime will use any means necessary to spy, steal, and undermine the United States," emphasizing the absurdity of allowing federal agencies to use platforms that could compromise national security.

This law is a crucial step in the Select Committee's broader AI campaign, which aims not only to protect U.S. AI supply chains but also to impose stringent export controls and ensure that American innovation is not used to power authoritarian surveillance or military systems abroad.

Today's hearing and legislation are just the beginning of a series of new proposals and messages the Committee plans to release this summer, with the goal of countering the CCP's exploitation of U.S. innovation and preventing American technology from fueling Beijing's AI ambitions.