Khanna calls for a government agency to oversee AI ‘like the FDA’

Rep. Ro Khanna told CBS News’ Face the Nation that the United States should establish a federal agency to oversee artificial intelligence, comparing the proposed body to the Food and Drug Administration. He said independent technical experts from universities and other institutions should be appointed to ensure AI systems are developed safely, drawing a parallel to regulatory regimes for nuclear energy, electricity and aviation. Khanna echoed concerns voiced by notable AI researchers, including Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton, and criticized technology executives who argue AI is too complex for policymakers. He said Washington has successfully regulated other highly technical industries and can do the same for AI by appointing qualified independent experts. The California Democrat also stressed the need for international standards and monitoring, saying the United States should seek an agreement with China’s Xi Jinping that would include international checks and verification, and citing the necessity of trusting but verifying arms-control–style arrangements. Khanna noted that Xi was scheduled to meet President Trump at Joint Base Andrews for a state visit this week. Khanna’s remarks come amid heightened political attention to AI following warnings from an ex-researcher at Anthropic about potential existential risks. He has sent letters to AI firms such as DeepSeek and Alibaba urging them to adopt pauses or guardrails. The debate over regulation has involved other national figures: President Trump has proposed creating an "AI Force" and an "AI czar," while former President Obama criticized reliance on voluntary industry restraint and pointed to existing regulatory approaches in other sectors as precedents.