In November 2016, the Senate Subcommittee on Space, Science and Competitiveness held the first congressional hearing on A.I., with Mr. Musk’s warnings cited twice by lawmakers. During the hearing, academics and the chief executive of OpenAI, a San Francisco lab, batted down Mr. Musk’s predictions or said they were at least many years away.Some lawmakers stressed the importance of the nation’s leadership in A.I. development. Congress must “ensure that the United States remains a global leader throughout the 21st century,” Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas and chair of the subcommittee, said at the time.DARPA subsequently announced that it was earmarking $2 billion for A.I. research projects.W …
