Republican Representative Mike Lawler of New York told Bloomberg’s Balance of Power on Wednesday that the United States needs nationwide artificial intelligence rules. He said American developers should partner with federal officials under a coordinated government plan instead of leaving regulation to individual states, so the country can remain the leader without falling behind China.

Lawler identified foreign adversaries, especially China, as his longstanding top worry because they might use the technology against financial institutions and markets. He added that uniform requirements for all firms would address independent software agents and automated tools, reducing the chance of computer intrusions while preparing for Chinese conduct that disregards accepted practices and could trigger a crisis.