Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced on Thursday that he has launched an effort to establish rules on artificial intelligence (AI) to address national security and education concerns. This move has come at a time when a consumer application called ChatGPT is becoming increasingly more widespread.
ChatGPT recently gained the public’s attention for its ability to quickly generate answers for a wide range of queries, particularly ones that have caught the attention of US lawmakers. It has become the fastest-growing consumer application with more than 100 million monthly active users in its short existence.
Schumer has circulated a framework to outline a new regulatory regime to prevent potential disasters as well as making sure that the US is a leader in AI technology. His plan must gain approval from Congress and the White House and could still take a while. This is the most concrete step yet that could see the US government introducing new regulations.
Schumer noted China’s recent introduction of its own rules and regulations for AI, which he refers to as a “wake-up call for the nation”. He stresses the importance of leading and shaping the rules for AI instead of simply allowing China to take the lead.
Schumer’s framework requires companies to have independent experts to review and test AI technology prior to it being released to the public. Additionally, users will have access to the findings made by these experts. However, Schumer has not yet drafted a full legal framework.
Recently, President Joe Biden said that it remains to be seen whether AI is truly dangerous and that tech companies need to make sure that their products are safe before release. Similarly, the US Commerce Department recently asked for public comments on any potential accountability measures for AI.
Three major companies, Microsoft, Google, and Alphabet Inc, are among the major investors in OpenAI, which created ChatGPT. These companies have been pouring billions of dollars into AI technology to stay ahead of the competition. However, they were not able to comment on Schumer’s effort immediately.
Microsoft Corp is one of the largest contributors to OpenAI, which developed ChatGPT. The software giant as well as Alphabet Inc’s Google have been investing heavily into AI in order to stay ahead of the competition in Silicon Valley.
Chuck Schumer is an American lawyer and politician, who serves as the senior United States Senator from New York, a seat he has held since 1999. Schumer is widely respected across the nation for his years of dedication to public service and commitment to safeguarding the rights of the American people.
