Congress will work to develop a comprehensive framework for guiding artificial intelligence (AI) development and legislation, according to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
Schumer says that the effort is necessary to safeguard U.S. security and values in an age that will be defined by enormous technological and social changes.
“We come together at a moment of revolution,” Schumer said during a June 21 talk at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank. “[It is] not one of weapons or political power, but a revolution in science and understanding that will change humanity.”
To that end, Schumer said that lawmakers will invite top AI experts to Congress in the coming months for a series of forums on the issue of AI, innovation, and regulation. The result, he hoped, would be to ensure U.S. prosperity in the face of “world-altering” technological development.
“The age of AI is here, and it is here to stay,” he said.
“The question is, what role [do] Congress and the federal government have in this new revolution? Are we capable of playing a proactive role in promoting AI’s growth?”
Government to Direct AI Development
While the planned forums between Congress and myriad AI experts will help to inform the size and scope of government regulation, Schumer is clear that he intends for government to direct the evolution of the technology.
“If [the] government doesn’t step in, who will fill its place?” he said.
“Individuals in the private sector can’t do the work of protecting our country.”
The New York Democrat’s firm stance on the government’s role in AI development comes amid an increasingly ambitious set of debates throughout Congress about the nature of the technology. Congressional leaders have frequently questioned whether AI would lead to a beneficial revolution, such as that brought about by the printing press, or a threatening one, such as that brought about by the atomic bomb.
Accordingly, Schumer said that Congress would seek to develop a plan for AI development that encourages competition, while deterring the use of AI by malign actors, be they foreign or domestic.
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