Bipartisan Senate AI Working Group Releases Blueprint on AI Policy

The Bipartisan Senate Artificial Intelligence (AI) Working Group led by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senator Mike Rounds, Senator Martin Heinrich, and Senator Todd Young, recently released a report, Driving U.S. Innovation in Artificial Intelligence: A Roadmap for Artificial Intelligence Policy in the United States Senate. As AI becomes a topical issue in virtually all aspects of life, the Senate working group held a series of forums dedicated to understanding the benefits and detriments of potential uses of AI technology prior to the release of this report (see COSSA’s previous coverage on AI). The report recommends committees continue to collaborate on AI legislation and consider the synergies between AI and other emerging technologies. The committee also supports the development of AI programs within key federal agencies, including the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) within the National Science Foundation (NSF) (see previous COSSA coverage), and cross-collaboration between Congress and these agencies to develop AI-focused legislation.

While the report recognizes the potential scientific and societal advancements anticipated by the development of AI, it also encourages the committees to thoughtfully consider the negative impacts of AI, particularly on workforce development, elections and democracy, privacy and liability, intellectual property and copyright, and national security, as well as concerns surrounding the creation of harmful deepfakes. In order to mitigate potential harm from AI, the report encourages committees to support efforts to develop safeguards to protect the public. The working group suggests the development of legislation for the support of research and development (R&D) efforts that address and provide solutions for potential risks of AI to the public.

The full report can be found here.