Senator Schumer hopes laws regulating AI can go divided Congress: NPR
Capitol Hill witnessed a historic gathering of know-how trade leaders — all within the identify of synthetic intelligence. Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer explains why he is nonetheless hopeful they’ll implement a plan to control AI.
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Expertise trade leaders gathered in Washington this week to speak about synthetic intelligence and methods to maintain it underneath management. Congress is preoccupied with extra short-term issues, corresponding to a self-imposed disaster over authorities funding 16 days from now. So can lawmakers handle a long-term concern like synthetic intelligence? Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer says he is optimistic. He spoke with NPR congressional correspondent Claudia Grisalis.
CLAUDIA GRISALES, BYLINE: Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer achieved a historic feat this week. A gaggle of the world’s high know-how leaders got here to Capitol Hill for a particular dialog in regards to the dangers and potential of synthetic intelligence. Schumer says Congress must dive into AI and regulate it.
Chuck Schumer: So the pure inclination of a legislator is to let another person do it, and I am not going to get entangled. However I felt an obligation to take part, as a result of if we did not do one thing about AI, a lot worse issues might occur.
GRISALES: Schumer and a bipartisan group of senators have made it their mission to start out crafting complete AI coverage.
Schumer: Now, we’ve an extended approach to go. This is without doubt one of the most troublesome duties I’ve ever undertaken as a legislator. However we can’t be like ostriches, put our heads within the sand and ignore it.
GRISALES: For a number of hours, Tesla and X CEO Elon Musk, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and philanthropist and former Microsoft CEO Invoice Gates joined different tech giants to talk with the senators. Musk has issued dire warnings about AI threats to humanity.
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Elon Musk: The implications of errors in synthetic intelligence are extreme, so we should be proactive, not reactive.
GRISALES: However Musk was optimistic.
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Musk: I feel one thing good will come from this. This – I feel this assembly might go down in historical past as crucial for the way forward for civilization.
GRISALES: However Congress has completed this dance earlier than. Stakeholders sing the praises of regulation and provoke laws solely to fail. However Schumer says they don’t have any alternative however to go full pace forward.
Schumer: I imply, the underside line is that when there have been different huge adjustments in society and Congress averted these adjustments, it was to the detriment.
GRISALES: Social media, web and privateness points are a reminder of Congress’ failure to control rising know-how. Moreover, there’s a lack of regulation and know-how experience on Capitol Hill, and the Home chamber is on a really completely different path. Here is Home Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
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Kevin McCarthy: AI can assist authorities lower your expenses, present higher service, and enhance effectivity. I am all the time in search of enhancements, and that is the place AI might be.
GRISALES: McCarthy opposes creating a brand new regulatory company to supervise synthetic intelligence, a key a part of the Senate debate. Schumer says he spoke to McCarthy in July and was “excited” in regards to the AI discussion board that includes high know-how executives.
Schumer: He stated it is a good suggestion, and he thinks the Home ought to do one thing on synthetic intelligence, too.
GRISALES: However due to the divide between Senate Republicans and Home Republicans, Congress is contemplating a potential authorities shutdown later this month. McCarthy moved ahead this week with an impeachment inquiry into President Biden. However Schumer says it is not simply the Senate that is having bother getting issues completed throughout the aisle.
Schumer: The Senate works very effectively in a bipartisan means. We do not need there to be a authorities shutdown. The issue is within the Home of Representatives, the place there’s a group of hard-right individuals who nearly wish to shut down Parliament, though it is hurting the nation and possibly hurting their celebration.
GRISALES: However because the Home and Senate function in two completely different worlds of legislative priorities, Schumer says regulation of AI is just too necessary to disregard.
Schumer: We’re not going to let that intervene with the bipartisan work we have to do on AI.
GRISALES: However even a gathering of the world’s brightest minds in know-how might not be sufficient to make sure that this Congress can come collectively to develop formidable AI coverage.
Claudia Grisalis, NPR Information, The Capitol.
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