Schumer Launches Major Effort To Get Ahead Of Artificial Intelligence
New York, N.Y. – Today, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) launched a first-of-its-kind effort to advance and manage one of the fastest moving, and most consequential industries across the globe: artificial intelligence (AI). Time is of the essence to ensure this powerful new technology and it’s potentially wide-ranging impact on society is put to proper use by advancing strong, bipartisan legislation.
For months now, Leader Schumer has been discussing and circulating a high-level framework that outlines a new regulatory regime for artificial intelligence, engaging leading artificial intelligence experts to help inform the proposal. Given the AI industry’s consequential and fast-moving impact on our society and global economy, Sen. Schumer’s urgency to act is high. Leader Schumer believes the Chinese Communist Party’s release this week of their own approach to regulating AI is a wake-up call to the nation and urgent action is required for the U.S. to stay ahead of China and shape and leverage this powerful technology. Leader Schumer believes that it is imperative for the United States to lead and shape the rules governing such a transformative technology and not permit China to lead on innovation or write the rules of the road.
“The Age of AI is here, and here to stay,” said U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer. “Now is the time to develop, harness, and advance its potential to benefit our country for generations. Given the AI industry’s consequential and fast moving impact on society, national security, and the global economy, I’ve worked with some of the leading AI practitioners and thought leaders to create a framework that outlines a new regulatory regime that would prevent potentially catastrophic damage to our country while simultaneously making sure the U.S. advances and leads in this transformative technology. But there is much more work to do and we must move quickly. I look forward to working across the aisle, across the industry and across the country and beyond, to shape this proposal and refine legislation to make sure AI delivers on its promise to create a better world.”
Though Leader Schumer’s approach is broad, it focuses on building a flexible and resilient AI policy framework across the federal government that can adapt as the technology continues to advance, allowing for innovation and continued U.S. leadership in the development of this critical technology, while enhancing security, accountability, and transparency. In the coming weeks, Leader Schumer plans to refine the proposal in conjunction with stakeholders from academia, advocacy organizations, industry, and the government. Working across relevant Senate committees, this initiative will include robust oversight efforts, as well as the development of a comprehensive legislative proposal for consideration, a process Sen. Schumer urges and welcomes his Republican colleagues to join.
Leader Schumer’s framework will advance four guardrails to deliver transparent, responsible AI while not stifling critical and cutting-edge innovation.
It will require companies to allow independent experts to review and test AI technologies ahead of a public release or update, and give users access to those results. That disclosure is the foundation of the four guardrails: Who, Where, How, and Protect. The first three guardrails – Who, Where, and How – will inform users, give the government the data needed to properly regulate AI technology, and reduce potential harm. The final guardrail – Protect – will focus on aligning these systems with American values and ensuring that AI developers deliver on their promise to create a better world.
These guardrails will increase transparency, responsibility, and accountability of AI technologies, while reducing the potential for misuse, and the promotion of misinformation and bias, making them beneficial for all Americans.
Over the previous weeks, Majority Leader Schumer has shared his proposal with leading AI experts – a constructive process that will continue and expand to further shape the framework and refine legislation, working with leading AI-focused think tanks, research institutions, and industry experts.
Schumer’s effort is intended to provide a vision for how American innovation and security and values will shape the AI Age.
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