Moderate Democrats within the chambers of the United States House of Representatives have taken a cooperative stride by instituting a collaborative task force specifically honing in on the expansive realm of artificial intelligence (AI). The primary objective of this task force is to engage in comprehensive discussions regarding potential regulatory frameworks for this swiftly evolving technological domain.
In an announcement made on Tuesday, the New Democrat Coalition, a collective of legislators, brought forth the establishment of this newly formed task force. Their overarching aim is to foster dialogues with the current Biden administration, corporate entities, and fellow lawmakers, all in pursuit of crafting balanced and bipartisan policies. These policies are intended to effectively navigate the multifaceted consequences of this burgeoning technology.
Though AI has held a presence for several years, its recent surge in attention, notably underscored by this year's developments, has catalysed a heightened focus. This increased attention is particularly linked to the emergence of ChatGPT, an advanced AI model renowned for its capacity to generate human-like text through data-driven mechanisms. Lawmakers are presently in the process of assessing strategies to tackle possible risks, primarily within the realm of national security, while simultaneously harnessing the technology's potential benefits.
Heading the task force is Representative Derek Kilmer, a Democratic representative hailing from the state of Washington. Joining Representative Kilmer in this pivotal undertaking are Vice Chairs Representatives Don Beyer of Virginia, Jeff Jackson from North Carolina, Sara Jacobs of California, Susie Lee of Nevada, and Haley Stevens from Michigan.
In a remarkable development underscoring the significance of this effort, the White House disclosed in July that prominent AI corporations, including OpenAI, Alphabet (the parent company of Google), and Meta Platforms (formerly known as Facebook), had voluntarily committed to the adoption of measures such as watermarking AI-generated content. This forward-looking initiative is geared towards heightening the security and traceability of AI technology's output.
Simultaneously, on the Senate front, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer declared last month that legislators are poised to engage with developers, industry leaders, and experts in the latter part of the year. The objective is to delve into potential legislative mechanisms that can provide safeguards for AI technology as it continues to advance.