A bipartisan group of US lawmakers presented a bill on June 20 that proposes creating a commission to examine the nation’s approach to artificial intelligence (AI) and develop regulations for the AI industry. This action follows recent calls from consumer protection organizations in the European Union (EU) for regulators to investigate the AI models powering widely-used chatbots.
Representatives Ted Lieu, Ken Buck, and Anna Eshoo introduced the bipartisan National AI Commission Act, which seeks to establish a national entity responsible for developing a comprehensive regulatory framework for AI. The act aims to mitigate the potential risks of unregulated AI technology, with Lieu emphasizing the need to prevent harm resulting from its use.
The commission, comprised of experts, government officials, industry representatives, and labor stakeholders, will collaborate to develop effective AI regulation recommendations, as stated by the lawmakers. Merve Hickok, president of the Center for AI and Digital Policy, supports the National AI Commission, highlighting its timeliness and importance in establishing crucial regulations and fostering public engagement in shaping the country’s AI strategy.
The center has previously expressed concerns about the United States’ lack of preparedness for forthcoming AI challenges. Hickok views the commission proposal as a commendable step forward by the lawmakers.
Following continued appeals from prominent figures in the tech industry, including billionaire Elon Musk and others, stressing the importance of implementing measures to control the rapid progress of AI, this development has emerged. Particularly, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, has recently voiced his apprehensions about the critical requirement for effective regulation of the AI industry.
