Cruz Postpones Classified AI Security Briefing That Was to Include Embattled Commerce Official

Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz has postponed a classified briefing that had been scheduled for early next week and was expected to include Jeffrey Kessler, the Commerce undersecretary who has drawn scrutiny this week over his dealings with chipmaker Nvidia.

In an email sent to committee members and reviewed by POLITICO, staff for the Texas Republican said the private briefing on recent cybersecurity breaches, including the hacking of Hugging Face by rogue OpenAI agents, would be delayed. The session was also expected to address potential congressional action in response to the growing threats created by rapid advances in artificial intelligence.

Cruz's intention to hold the briefing on Tuesday had not been previously reported.

"The topics will include: Mythos (pre-, during, and post-), federal government awareness of non-public loss-of-control events (Hugging Face incident), and potential congressional action for new authorities, among others," the email read. Mythos is an advanced Anthropic model thought to be capable of breaching previously secure cyber systems.

The briefing was planned as lawmakers struggled to unite behind legislation establishing federal standards for AI safety and oversight of the fast-moving technology. Negotiations on an AI safety deal collapsed before the November midterms, and the effort is expected to resume in earnest in the new Congress, where Democrats will control both chambers.

Kessler, the Commerce undersecretary for industry and security, has emerged as a potentially central figure in the Nvidia meltdown after the global chipmaking giant fired CEO Jensen Huang this week when his affair with an alleged Chinese spy surfaced.

The New York Times reported this week that Kessler intervened in an internal Commerce investigation of Megaspeed, the Singaporean firm led by the alleged Chinese spy that is a major purchaser of advanced Nvidia chips. Kessler's portfolio includes AI export controls.

A spokesperson for Cruz did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and neither did a Commerce Department spokesperson.

Other administration officials listed as expected briefers included Ethan Klein at the Office of Science and Technology Policy and Sean Cairncross, director of the Office of the National Cyber Director.

Asked by reporters on Thursday whether the panel would examine the Commerce Department's role in the Nvidia story, Cruz said, "The Commerce Committee has engaged in vigorous oversight under Republican presidents and Democratic presidents."