'Superhumans' are 'real concern': Republican's bizarre rant confounds AI experts

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) warned a group of artificial intelligence experts that "superhumans" were "a real concern" if wealthy people were allowed to have chips implanted in their brains.

The claims were made by the Florida Republican at a House Oversight Committee hearing on Thursday.

"One of the biggest concerns I have with this whole discussion on AI is a failure to admit, first and foremost, that it is apparent, it does appear that in the next 10 years that the way that we have grown up ... life with AI will be forever changing," she began. "We are not gods or God. And so I think that we're playing a dangerous game, especially moving into a future that's simply unknown right now."

Luna worried that if the U.S. did not invent the first AI super weapon, then another country would "control the world."

"But specifically to transhumanism and coupling of AI with humanity, what regulatory frameworks can be established to ensure AI-driven transhumanist technologies like brain-computer interfaces prioritize human safety and consent?" she said.

"AI does not get an exemption from civil rights laws, from consumer protections, unfair and deceptive practices, fraud, so on and so forth," R Street Senior Research Fellow Adam Thierer explained to the lawmaker. "So we have a lot of policies that do regulate many of the fears you're raising."

Luna responded by worrying that "transhumanist enhancements" could "exacerbate social inequalities" by "creating an elite class of enhanced individuals."

"For example, implementing or implanting chips," she explained, "giving access to unknown amounts of knowledge, and essentially creating the first superhuman. This is a real concern."

"From a bipartisan perspective here, we're talking about humanity versus machine," the lawmaker added. "But I'm also in politics, and I have a very, unfortunately, sometimes negative perspective on the world because I've seen the worst of humanity in this job. So science fiction speaks of this a lot."

Harvard lecturer Bruce Schneier admitted he did not have the answer but recommended that Luna speak to Nita Farahany.

"Farahany writes a lot about AI and brain interfaces and what we can do to protect humanity in that world," he said.

Luna pressed the experts about whether the U.S. should create a "super AI" or "guardian AI" to defend the country.

"Maybe, but I need more about the details about what that means because there's a lot to unpack there," a confused Thierer replied.

Watch the video below.