Leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives Form Bipartisan Task Force on Artificial Intelligence
**Leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives** have announced their plans to form a **bipartisan task force** to tackle concerns surrounding **artificial intelligence (AI)**. Despite various high-level discussions and proposals in the past year, efforts to pass legislation focused on AI have stagnated in Congress. The forthcoming task force report aims to provide **guiding principles, forward-looking recommendations**, and **bipartisan policy proposals** that are developed in consultation with congressional committees.
The bipartisan task force, led by Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, will aim to produce a comprehensive report. Additionally, they will consider the implementation of **guardrails** to protect the country from both current and future threats associated with AI.
One area of concern is the development of **Generative AI**, which has the ability to create text, photos, and videos based on open-ended prompts. While this technology has sparked excitement, there are fears that it could render some jobs obsolete, disrupt elections, and potentially surpass human capabilities with potentially catastrophic consequences.
The issue gained renewed attention following a fake robocall in January that imitated President Joe Biden, attempting to dissuade individuals from voting for him in New Hampshire’s Democratic primary. The Federal Communications Commission recently declared the use of AI-generated voices in calls as **illegal**.
Jeffries emphasized the need for safeguards, stating that “the rise of artificial intelligence also presents a unique set of challenges, and certain guardrails must be put in place to protect the American people.”
In October, President Biden signed an executive order aimed at mitigating the risks associated with AI. The Commerce Department also proposed a requirement for U.S. cloud companies to assess whether foreign entities have access to U.S. data centers for AI training purposes.
Representative Jay Obernolte, the Republican chair of the task force, highlighted the importance of establishing regulatory standards and congressional actions that can both **protect consumers** and **foster investment and innovation in AI**.
Democratic co-chair Ted Lieu pointed out that the crucial question is **how to ensure AI benefits society** rather than causing harm.
Earlier this month, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo announced the participation of leading AI companies, alongside over 200 other entities, in a new U.S. consortium dedicated to supporting the safe deployment of AI. Participants in the consortium include OpenAI, Alphabet’s Google, Anthropic, Microsoft, Meta Platforms, Apple, Amazon.com, and Nvidia.
Analyst comment
Positive news: Leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives are forming a bipartisan task force to tackle concerns surrounding artificial intelligence (AI). The task force aims to provide guiding principles, recommendations, and bipartisan policy proposals. Implementing safeguards and regulatory standards can protect consumers and foster investment and innovation in AI. This initiative shows a commitment to addressing the challenges and ensuring AI benefits society.
