More Democratic Lawmakers Criticize US AI Deals With UAE, Saudis
Eight Senate Democrats, including Senate Banking Committee ranking member Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., urged the Trump administration May 19 to reconsider its AI deals with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, saying the agreements lack guardrails to prevent the diversion of U.S. technology to China.
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In a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, the senators noted that the recently announced deals came shortly after the Bureau of Industry and Security rescinded its AI diffusion export control rule, which would have limited the number of high-end AI chips that could be shipped to the UAE and Saudi Arabia (see 2505130018).
“Taken together, these announcements amount to a breathtaking rollback of export control restrictions that have helped maintain the U.S. technological edge to ensure the United States wins the AI race and prevent our adversaries from accessing our most sensitive technologies,” the senators wrote.
In addition to Warren and Schumer, the letter is signed by Sens. Jack Reed, D-R.I., Mark Warner, D-Va., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Chris Coons, D-Del., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Elissa Slotkin, D-Md. The letter came three days after seven Senate and House Democrats issued a joint statement saying the deals don’t adequately protect U.S. technology (see 2505160049).
The administration has insisted that the UAE agreement has such safeguards (see 2505190041); it hasn’t responded to requests for comment on the Saudi deal. The administration has called the AI diffusion rule overly burdensome and has announced plans to issue a replacement.