Policy experts argue Washington is misjudging AI risks
Lawmakers are fixated on unlikely AI doomsday scenarios, missing more immediate and practical risks, experts argue.
A green robotic hand hovers over the U.S. Capitol dome, surrounded by concentric green rings and wave patterns (Photo via Foreign Policy)
Current policy discussions in Washington regarding artificial intelligence are overly focused on unlikely, catastrophic scenarios, according to an article published in Foreign Policy on Nov. 2, 2026.
The piece, authored by Michael C. Horowitz and Lauren Kahn, a senior research analyst at Georgetown University's Center for Security and Emerging Technology, contends that lawmakers are prioritizing low-likelihood, high-impact events over more immediate and practical concerns.
The authors argue that this fixation causes policymakers to miss the forest for the trees when addressing the governance and safety of emerging technologies. The article serves as an argument for shifting the focus of the current discourse in the nation's capital toward more pressing and probable risks associated with AI development.