Schumer and Bipartisan Senators unveil plan to control AI

Schumer and Bipartisan Senators unveil plan to control AI is profiled by BTW Media because published evidence links it to internet infrastructure, governance, operational dependencies, or market visibility.

• Developed in collaboration with tech companies, civil rights groups, and labour unions, this roadmap seeks to re-energise the bipartisan legislation.
• The blueprint instructs multiple Senate committees to come up with guardrails for AI to address various risks, including discrimination.
• The roadmap is deemed the most impactful bipartisan legislative AI recommendation, highlighting its crucial role in guiding AI’s future.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, alongside a bipartisan group of senators, revealed a comprehensive blueprint on Wednesday aimed at shaping federal legislation to govern AI. The 31-page roadmap reflects a commitment to prioritise US innovation in the fiercely competitive AI landscape.

The blueprint

The allocation of at least $32 billion annually for AI research and development, in line with a 2021 report by the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence. The roadmap, developed through extensive consultations with tech firms, civil rights leaders, and labour unions, aims to reinvigorate bipartisan legislative efforts initiated last year.

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The blueprint addresses various AI risks, including discrimination, job displacement, and election interference, instructing Senate committees to develop guardrails to mitigate these concerns. Some proposals align with longstanding congressional objectives, such as the creation of a national data privacy law to regulate AI companies’ use of personal information. Additionally, the plan suggests measures similar to those adopted by the European Union, including a proposed ban on AI for social scoring systems akin to China’s.

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Significance of the roadmap

Senator Todd Young emphasised the significance of the roadmap, calling it the most impactful bipartisan recommendation on AI ever issued by the legislative branch. The plan reflects Senate leaders’ transition from learning to action, delegating tasks to committees to craft legislation incrementally. Schumer has expressed urgency, aiming for swift action to protect elections from AI-driven interference, particularly with the 2024 elections approaching.

Doubts and improvements

However, doubts linger among policy analysts and congressional aides about Congress’s ability to pass significant AI regulation in an election year. Meanwhile, the European Union has made strides in AI regulation, recently approving the EU AI Act, which imposes bans and restrictions on certain AI applications deemed high-risk.