The Home of Representatives has founded a Task Force on artificial intelligence that may “guarantee America continues main on this strategic space,” as Speaker Mike Johnson put it. However the announcement feels extra like a punt after years of indecision that present no signal of ending.
In a means this job power — chaired by California Reps Ted Lieu and Jay Obernolte — is a welcome signal of Congress doing one thing, something, on an necessary matter that has develop into the darling of tech funding. However in one other, extra necessary means, it comes off as lip service at a time many really feel AI and tech are operating circles round regulators and lawmakers.
Moreover, the dispiriting partisanship and obstruction on show each day in Congress renders quaint any notion that this job power would produce something of worth at any time, not to mention throughout a traditionally divisive election yr.
“As new improvements in AI proceed to emerge, Congress and our companions in federal authorities should sustain. Home Republicans and Democrats will work collectively to create a complete report detailing the regulatory requirements and congressional actions wanted to each defend shoppers and foster continued funding and innovation in AI,” stated Rep. Obernolte within the announcement.
And Rep. Lieu: “AI has the aptitude of fixing our lives as we all know it. The query is how to make sure AI advantages society as an alternative of harming us. As a recovering Laptop Science main, I do know this won’t be a straightforward or fast or one-time job, however I imagine Congress has a necessary function to play in the way forward for AI. I’ve been heartened to see so many Members of Congress of all political persuasions agree.”
After all, the White Home, numerous agencies, the E.U., and numerous different authorities and organizations are already issuing “complete reviews” and recommending legislative actions, however what’s yet another?
It appears as if Congress realized that it was the final substantive entity to behave on this industry-reshaping power, and so Representatives reached throughout the aisle to pat one another on the again for taking the smallest attainable step in the direction of future laws.
However on the similar time, with Congress dysfunctional (having handed a traditionally low variety of payments) and all eyes on the 2024 Presidential election, this job power is only a means of kicking the can down the street till they know what they will get away with beneath the approaching administration.
Definitely finding out AI and its dangers and advantages just isn’t a foul factor — but it surely’s a bit of late within the day to be saying it. This job power is lengthy overdue, and as such we might welcome it but in addition deal with it with the identical skepticism that lawmakers pandering deserves.
Everybody concerned with this can level to it when requested why they haven’t acted on AI, which many citizens worry is coming for his or her jobs or automating processes that after had a purposeful human contact. “However we began this job power!” Sure, and the E.U. has had their job power engaged on this topic because the pandemic days.
The announcement of the duty power saved expectations low, with no timeline or deliverables that voters or watchdogs can maintain them to. Even the report is one thing they are going to solely “search” to provide!
Moreover, contemplating the knowledgeable businesses are at risk of declawing via Supreme Court decision, it’s laborious to even think about what a regulatory construction would appear to be a yr from now. Need the FTC, FCC, SEC, EPA, or anybody else to assist out? They might be judicially restrained from doing so come 2025.
Maybe this job power is Congress’s admission that in such a tumultuous occasions, and missing any actual perception into a difficulty, all they will do is say “we’ll look into it.”