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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent rejected liability protection for artificial intelligence labs at a House hearing Tuesday, while Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson said a related antitrust request should make everyone deeply suspicious. They were responding to separate asks: protection from some responsibility for AI-caused harm and a narrow antitrust waiver that would let rival labs coordinate a slowdown. The requests came as the industry pressed its own safety agenda and the House prepared to leave Washington on Thursday with AI bills stalled.
What Changed
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told the House Financial Services Committee that AI labs should not get the liability exemption they are seeking, saying creators must be liable for what they build and generate.
- FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson said requests for new regulation paired with an antitrust exemption set off "all of my alarm bells," while stressing he spoke personally and that President Trump sets federal AI policy.
- OpenAI backed the FRONTIER Act's independent-verification provision, its first endorsement of a specific federal mandate for outside safety assessors, and said it does not need an antitrust waiver to coordinate with Anthropic and Google DeepMind.
- An Elon University survey of 1,505 U.S. adults found 69% expect AI to weaken human bonds, though it was fielded in May and predates this month's slowdown debate.
AI-generated summary, reviewed by an editor. More on our AI guidelines.
Liability and competition
Bessent was testifying before the House Financial Services Committee at a hearing devoted to International Monetary Fund oversight when Rep. Juan Vargas, D-Calif., asked what the administration was doing about AI safety.
“I can tell you,” Bessent said, “what we shouldn't do on safety is give these labs a liability exemption, which is what they're asking for.” He added, “The best way to guarantee safety is that the creators are liable for what they build and generate.”
Bessent also called for more open-source models built in the United States. “We can't let these large labs have regulatory capture because that will stop innovation,” he said. He declined to identify a draft regulation or bill that he believed would improve AI safety.
Speaking at a Georgetown University event in Washington, Ferguson said companies seeking regulation and an antitrust exemption set off “all of my alarm bells.” He said the requests could create barriers protecting established companies from challengers. “And I think if you combine that with the requested antitrust exemption, everyone should be deeply suspicious about this.”
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Ferguson said he was expressing a personal opinion and did not name Anthropic. President Donald Trump, he noted, sets federal AI policy.
OpenAI chooses another route
OpenAI backed the independent-verification provision of the FRONTIER Act on Tuesday, its first endorsement of a specific federal mandate requiring outside safety assessors, Chris Lehane, OpenAI's chief global affairs officer, said. He said OpenAI had worked with Anthropic and Google DeepMind on safety for several weeks without needing an antitrust waiver.
“There are many instances over time where companies are trying to help each other on safety,” Lehane said, citing the airline industry.
Antitrust experts said existing legal doctrines already allow coordination to prevent catastrophic risks, including information sharing on cybersecurity. Aidan Gomez, Cohere's co-founder, challenged the proposed exemption Sunday. “If this is the most consequential technology in human history, then the rules for it cannot be written by a small group of commercially aligned companies behind an antitrust waiver,” he wrote.
Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang opposed new laws Tuesday. “Run as fast as you can,” he said. “But if you feel at any given point in time the company's out of control or the product's not going to be safe, take a pause and make sure you get it right.”
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Pressure outside the hearing rooms
A nationally representative Elon University survey of 1,505 U.S. adults, released September 14, found that 69% expected AI to weaken human bonds a lot or somewhat and 64% agreed it would erode purpose and meaning by replacing people in most tasks. It was fielded May 14 to 18, 2026, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. Because it was conducted in May, it does not measure opinion after the industry's latest slowdown appeals or Trump's rejection of them.
At Tuesday's Pro-Human Assembly, Sen. Bernie Sanders said, “When you are racing towards a cliff, you hit the brakes.” Steve Bannon said, “American citizens are not going to be supplicants to the oligarchs anymore.”
Sanders and Rep. Greg Casar announced the Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act on September 3. It would permanently prohibit superintelligent AI, pause advanced development until a new federal regulator sets rules and create a cabinet-level agency.
Congress heads home
The FRONTIER Act was introduced July 23 by Reps. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., and Lori Trahan, D-Mass., with four co-sponsors. It is among the bills that have stalled. The House is scheduled to leave Washington on Thursday and return after the November elections.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Scott Bessent say about AI liability?
Testifying before the House Financial Services Committee on Tuesday, Bessent said the government should not give AI labs a liability exemption, which he said is what they are asking for. He said the best way to guarantee safety is for creators to be liable for what they build and generate. He declined to identify a draft regulation or bill he believed would improve AI safety.
Why is the FTC chairman skeptical of an antitrust waiver for AI companies?
Ferguson said that when companies come to Washington asking for both new regulation and an antitrust exemption, it sets off "all of my alarm bells." He said the requests could create barriers protecting established companies from challengers. He noted he was expressing a personal opinion, did not name Anthropic, and said President Trump sets federal AI policy.
Does OpenAI want an antitrust waiver?
No. Chris Lehane, OpenAI's chief global affairs officer, said the company had worked with Anthropic and Google DeepMind on safety for several weeks without needing one. He compared the situation to the airline industry, saying there are many instances over time where companies try to help each other on safety.
What is the FRONTIER Act?
A bill introduced July 23 by Reps. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., and Lori Trahan, D-Mass., with four co-sponsors. OpenAI backed its independent-verification provision, which would require top AI companies to bring in outside safety assessors. It is among the bills that have stalled.
What would the Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act do?
Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Greg Casar announced it on September 3. It would permanently prohibit superintelligent AI, pause advanced AI development until a new federal regulator sets rules, and create a cabinet-level agency.
AI-generated summary, reviewed by an editor. More on our AI guidelines.
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Marcus Schuler
Editor-in-Chief and founder of Implicator.ai. Former ARD correspondent and senior broadcast journalist with 10+ years covering tech. Writes daily briefings on policy and market developments. Based in San Francisco. E-mail: editor@implicator.ai
