Conservative Group Calls for H-1B Visa Freeze Amid AI Policy Proposals
A conservative organization advocates for a halt on H-1B visas as part of its AI policy framework aimed at protecting American workers.
Washington, October 17 (Daily Kiran) : A conservative organization advocating for stringent regulations on artificial intelligence has demanded a freeze on H-1B visas. The group, known as Humans First, has included this proposal in its “America First AI Policy.”
Led by prominent Tea Party activist Amy Kremer, the organization outlined its framework on its website. One of the key points emphasizes the need to prioritize “the benefits of AI leadership for American workers,” which includes the proposed visa halt.
The framework suggests that, alongside the expansion of AI, tax relief for workers, a suspension of H-1B visas, domestic workforce training, and mandatory disclosures regarding job losses due to AI should be implemented. However, it does not specify how long the freeze would last or the method of enforcement.
U.S. tech companies have utilized the H-1B program to hire a significant number of skilled foreign workers. According to data from USCIS, over 70 percent of approved petitions in recent years have involved Indian professionals.
The framework is built on three principles: protecting American freedoms and national security from AI threats, demanding transparency and accountability from big tech, and safeguarding jobs, lifestyles, and children.
Additionally, it calls for stricter controls on the export of “high-end chips and other critical AI technologies” to China and other adversarial nations, including exports through third countries. It also seeks to prevent Chinese control over U.S. data centers.
The group has also requested security checks for foreign employees in frontier AI companies. They advocate for independent third-party testing of major AI systems and a halt to the development of superhuman AI, which includes preventing “recursive self-improvement.”
The term “recursive self-improvement” in AI refers to the process of self-modifying to enhance capabilities.
Other proposals include banning the federal use of surveillance camera networks like Flock, mandating public reporting of significant AI incidents, holding frontier developers accountable for reckless design, and ensuring oversight of AI usage by minors.
The framework also opposes federal preemption of state AI laws. Executive Director Russ Walker stated, “An AI policy that is truly America First focuses on the American people, not global corporations or unaccountable bureaucrats.”
