Sen Schiff Introduces Comprehensive Legislation to Enact Commonsense Guardrails for Defense Department’s Use of AI

Sen Schiff (D-CA) introduced new legislation to codify commonsense and necessary guardrails to protect against the risks of, and create accountability for, autonomous and semi-autonomous lethal strikes and domestic mass surveillance that use artificial intelligence ahead of consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act. This legislation is the result of extensive consultation with industry stakeholders, defense experts, and international humanitarian organizations. The Human Authority in Lethal Operations Act of 2026 would codify key safety requirements into statute, including mandating a clear chain of command with a designated human commander responsible for exercising ultimate discretion regarding use of force with autonomous and semi-autonomous weapon systems, instituting a clear review structure before the development and fielding of a covered weapon system, and establishing critical, ongoing testing and evaluation requirements.