Amid growing interest in addressing issues surrounding artificial intelligence, lawmakers from both parties are considering what new rules might be needed. Two separate bipartisan bills were introduced on Thursday as part of this effort. One would require the U.S. government to be transparent when using A.I. to interact with people. Another will establish an office to determine if the United States remains competitive in the latest technologies.
The first bill, introduced by Senators Gary Peters and Mike Braun and Republicans James Lankford and Mike Rounds, focuses on transparency using A.I. models. It would force agencies to tell consumers when an A.I. is being used and provide a way for people to appeal decisions made by the technology. The bill also would create a working group to research best practices for the federal government in using A.I.
Witnesses and several senators also emphasized the need to foster international cooperation when developing A.I. standards. They argued that the United States must be willing to engage in multilateral discussions of A.I. policies to prevent the United States from falling behind countries like China, which has a clear plan to become a global leader in A.I. and is coordinating its efforts worldwide.
Other witnesses discussed the need for more transparent disclosure requirements on using A.I. in products and services. They urged a system of labels similar to nutrition facts on food that could inform consumers of an A.I.’s “ingredients” and its risk factors. They also pushed for pre-public deployment testing and thresholds to help keep people safe from harm.
In addition to these proposals, multiple witnesses advocated creating an A.I. chief officer position in every agency to provide leadership and prioritize A.I. initiatives. They also called for more training for federal employees on using A.I. and ensuring all federal employees understand how the technology works.
Finally, many of the senators and witnesses addressed the need to address the issue of cybersecurity concerning A.I. They emphasized that the need to protect privacy and security must be balanced with the benefits of A.I. to encourage innovation and maintain a competitive edge in the global economy.
