Johnson says no moratorium on AI, would give China competitive edge

WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 (Reuters) - U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Tuesday there cannot be a moratorium on artificial intelligence development without losing the competitive edge to China and that AI companies can regulate themselves.

"They can self-regulate. They don't need the government to tell them to slow it down. If they want to slow it down, they should," Johnson told reporters. "We cannot have a moratorium on the development of AI, Ok? Because then we will lose our edge to China, and that has serious national security implications for every American family."

Johnson said he was sure AI would be a topic of discussion between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping when they meet in Washington later this month.