Lawmakers press AI CEOs on safeguards as Congress weighs rules
Top executives from the largest artificial intelligence firms told lawmakers Wednesday that safeguards are urgently needed as Congress weighs how to regulate the rapidly developing technology. Senators are pressing AI CEOs to testify publicly or privately before legislation moves forward.
Sen. Tom Tillis, R-N.C., acknowledged the challenge facing members of Congress, whose average age is 60. Asked Tuesday by NewsNation how well Congress understands AI, Tillis responded: “I don’t really know if Congress can spell ‘AI,'” adding that he was being tongue-in-cheek.
Nearly half of all Americans say work on AI development should be paused, while more than 60% say there is at least a moderate risk of AI destroying humanity entirely, according to the report.
More than 100 Democrats called on House Speaker Mike Johnson to keep the House in session between now and November so lawmakers could work on the issue. The House has recessed, with Wednesday serving as its final day before lawmakers return after the midterm elections.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren told reporters lawmakers need to have the courage to put meaningful regulations on AI.
“In this upcoming midterms, we need some people who have the courage to stand up and say we’re going to put meaningful regulations on AI,” Warren said. “We’re not going to say, ‘Mother, may I? Would this work out for you, boys?’ We’re going to say there have to be regulations. We want to see your data. We want to see what you’re up to. We want to see what tests you’re running before you turn it loose on the world.”
Sen. Ted Cruz, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, said the panel could play a major role in any congressional effort to regulate AI. Cruz pointed to previous testimony from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
“We had Sam Altman testify before the Commerce Committee. My hope is later this month we will mark up legislation, in particular addressing catastrophic threats,” Cruz said. “The question is going to be, can we get bipartisan agreement on legislation to move forward? We’re not there, but I think we’re making progress.”
