House Leaders Announce Bipartisan AI Task Force

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Facts

  • House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) announced on Tuesday that they are forming a bipartisan task force to explore how Congress should deal with artificial intelligence (AI) as lawmakers grapple with regulating the emerging technology.1
  • The new group will have 24 members, with 12 from each party, and will be led by Reps. Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.) and Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.). The task force will focus on how the US can continue leading the world in AI innovation while also exploring safety mechanisms.2
  • In a statement released Tuesday, Speaker Johnson said advancements in AI 'have the potential to rapidly transform our economy and our society.' Jeffries said that 'Congress has the responsibility to facilitate the promising breakthroughs' of AI and to ensure equitable benefits.3
  • US lawmakers have been vocal about their desire to pass bills governing the rapidly evolving technology, as last year Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) promised an AI legislative framework, but the plan has not advanced since being announced months ago.4
  • Schumer has hosted a series of AI forums that featured industry leaders. The emergence of OpenAI and Altman’s plea for regulation prompted a wave of discussions — including Pres. Joe Biden’s executive order announcing commitments for AI leaders to follow.5
  • Issues surrounding generative AI received attention after a fake robocall imitating Biden urged people not to vote in the New Hampshire Democratic Primary. This prompted the Federal Communications Commission to ban AI-created robocalls.6

Sources: 1NBC, 2FedScoop, 3Speaker Mike Johnson, 4FOX News, 5Spectrumnews1 and 6US News & World Report.

Narratives

  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Colorado Springs Gazette. As lawmakers in the US, as well as the rest of the world, grapple with the mind-boggling potential of AI, it's fair to question how regulation could be enacted and if it's even possible. From executive orders to Congressional bills and bureaucratic rulings, every power center has tried to get a grip on AI for nearly a year. The complex world of AI is still evolving, and there are many factors that make it difficult for Congress, or any other group, to enact meaningful safeguards.
  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Congressman Ted Lieu. The House’s newly created AI task force is a bipartisan coalition that is comprised of the body’s most experienced representatives who have backgrounds in artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. Dealing with rapidly evolving technology such as AI is no easy task, but Congress is deeply committed to understanding AI and promoting policies that will promote the technology’s benefits while mitigating its threats. This is a moment of both political parties rising to the occasion together.

Predictions