WATCH: AI safety scare sparks Cap Hill fight over guardrails: 'China's going to eat our lunch'

Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., and Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., warned that slowing U.S. AI development to impose safety guardrails would hand China an advantage, with Mace saying "If we stop now, China's going to eat our lunch." The Capitol Hill debate follows calls for a slowdown from three top AI leaders, including Anthropic researchers who said the pace of development could wipe out humanity, and comes ahead of President Trump hosting Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington next week for a summit expected to cover AI and safety risks. Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine, Andy Kim and Martin Heinrich said the industry's own warnings strengthen the case for Congress to act on guardrails.

Trump’s dismissal of AI danger warnings as a "hoax" is fueling a Capitol Hill debate over whether Congress can impose new safeguards without slowing U.S. development and handing China an advantage. "I don't think President Trump really knows what he's talking about," Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., told Fox News Digital. "I do think we don't need to be just complete doomsdayers about it. " " Trump says almost everything is a hoax that he doesn't agree with," Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said. The comments come after three top leaders in AI called for the slowdown of AI development, insisting the rapid speed at which the technology is developing poses serious safety risks for humans. Some Anthropic researchers https://www.foxnews.com/media/anthropic-ceo-calls-ai-industry-slow-down-tech-race-drawing-support-elon-musk-sam-altman even went as far to say that the pace AI is moving at could wipe out humanity. But Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., warned against allowing safeguards to impede American development. "It's not unreasonable for us to expect to have some guardrails," Sheehy said. "I mean, it's gonna be the most world-changing technology of our era." He continued, "We don't wanna slow it down cause if we slowdown, China will win," he added. "But we also need to make sure that it's being done safely." Some Democratic lawmakers say the industry’s own warnings strengthen the case for congressional action, arguing that concerns raised by the companies developing AI should be difficult for Washington to ignore. "The American people don't normally hear from the businesses themselves saying that, ‘you know, we got some concerns about our own products,’ right?" Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., said. "So when that happens, I think people are paying attention." DEMOCRATS EMBRACED AI’S GROWTH BEFORE TRUMP CAME ALONG — NOW THEY WANT TO SLOW IT DOWN "What I would love to see is for my Republican colleagues to realize that when the CEOs of these organizations are saying we need some guardrails, that maybe it's time to step up and have Congress do its job," Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., said. The recent widespread panic has intensified an already active debate in Congress, prompting more bipartisan efforts by lawmakers to introduce legislation that enforces guardrails on AI https://www.foxnews.com/tech/ai-kill-switch-bill-could-shut-down-rogue-models , and control over how quickly it continues developing. These calls for additional safeguards are colliding with the growing concern that slowing AI development in America could allow China to gain ground in the global technology race. "China is the only one that benefits from the United States slowing down AI," Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said. "They're the biggest beneficiary of it. "If we stop now, China's going to eat our lunch," she said. Mace, along with other Republican lawmakers, are warning that the intentions of AI companies https://www.foxnews.com/politics/gop-lawmakers-smell-something-else-behind-big-techs-ai-doomsday-warnings-something-else-going-on calling for a slow down and government intervention also may be deceiving. AI 'DOOMERS' RISK KNEECAPPING US VS CHINA, BUT EX-PENTAGON VET SAYS BOTH EXTREMES MISS THE MARK "These AI companies are beneficiaries of a slow down too because the big three are cornering the market, and more regulations and slowing it down helps them monopolize the market," Mace said. The debate is set to move beyond Capitol Hill next week, when Trump hosts Chinese President Xi Jinping https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-says-chinese-president-xi-jinping-visit-us-sept-24 in Washington for a summit where conversations are expected to be had regarding AI and safety risks. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP OpenAI CEO Sam Altman https://www.foxnews.com/politics/openais-sam-altman-wants-negotiate-5-stake-company-us-competitors-agree-key-provision , who agreed a slow down is needed in AI development, is expected to be among the technology executives attending Trump's state dinner for Xi.