U.S. House forms AI task force as legislative push stalls

Leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives have announced the formation of a bipartisan task force to explore potential legislation addressing concerns surrounding artificial intelligence (AI). Despite previous legislative efforts in Congress facing obstacles, the task force, led by House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, aims to produce a comprehensive report considering “guardrails” to protect the nation against current and emerging AI-related threats.

The report will include guiding principles, recommendations, and bipartisan policy proposals developed in consultation with congressional committees. The rise of generative AI, which can create content in response to prompts, has raised concerns about job displacement, election interference, and potential harm. The task force will work on regulatory standards and congressional actions to both protect consumers and encourage AI investment and innovation. The issue gained renewed attention after a fake robocall using AI-generated voices was declared illegal by the Federal Communications Commission. President Joe Biden previously signed an executive order to mitigate AI risks, and the Commerce Department proposed requiring U.S. cloud companies to assess foreign access to data centers for AI model training. A 24-member task force, including representatives from leading AI companies like OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, and others, will collaborate on the report to ensure that AI benefits society rather than causing harm.

Source – CGTN