Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) arrives for an all Senators meeting to hear from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky discuss future aide for the war effort on Thursday, September 21, 2023.
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The Big Story
Biden pressured on AI rules
A coalition of Democrats urged President Biden to turn non-binding safeguards on artificial intelligence (AI) into policy through an executive order, according to a letter released Wednesday.
The letter, led by Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), recommends the administration use its so-called “AI Bill of Rights” as a guide to set policy across the federal government through an upcoming artificial intelligence executive order.
The non-binding AI Bill of Rights, released by the White House last year, outlines five key principles to guide the design, use and deployment of AI technology: focusing on safe and effective systems, algorithmic discrimination protections, data privacy, notice and explanation, and consideration of human alternatives.
“By turning the AI Bill of Rights from a non-binding statement of principles into federal policy, your Administration would send a clear message to both private actors and federal regulators: AI systems must be developed with guardrails,” the Democrats wrote.
“Doing so would also strengthen your Administration’s efforts to advance racial equity and support underserved communities, building on important work from previous executive orders,” they added.
Last month, before meeting with the president’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology in San Francisco, Biden said he would be taking executive action “so America leads the way toward responsible AI innovation.”
The White House announced new actions against so-called “junk fees” Wednesday, including a proposed Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rule that would ban the “hidden and bogus” charges. The rule would require corporations to include all mandatory fees when communicating a price to consumers, a move that the administration says would make it easier for customers to compare prices — and encourage companies to compete …
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) reported former CIA Director Michael Hayden to the Capitol Police on Tuesday over the former general’s tweet suggesting the lawmaker should be removed “from the human race.”
(NEXSTAR) – A judge in San Francisco gave final approval to the massive Facebook privacy settlement on Tuesday. The social media company has agreed to pay $725 million to settle claims it violated users’ privacy by sharing their data with third parties. While Meta agreed to the payout, it denies wrongdoing.
News we’ve flagged from the intersection of tech and other topics:
California law makes it easier to delete personal data
Californians will eventually be able to ask all data brokers in the state to delete their personal data with a single request under the newly signed Delete Act, The Verge reported.
CISA releases open source security guidance
Federal agencies including the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released guidance about boosting safety for open source software, FedScoop reported.
Microsoft-Activision deal avoids second EU probe
The European Commission said it does not need to review Microsoft’s $69 billion deal to buy video game developer Activision Blizzard again, after the tech giant revamped its proposal, Bloomberg reported.
On Our Radar
Upcoming news themes and events we’re watching:
The Google Public Sector Forum will take place in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Oct. 17.
In Other News
Branch out with other reads on The Hill:
Star witness Caroline Ellison says FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried hoped to be US president someday
NEW YORK (AP) — Caroline Ellison, the tech executive who ran Sam Bankman-Fried ’s hedge fund while sometimes dating him, testified Tuesday that he directed her to commit crimes before his cryptocurrency empire collapsed last November. She also revealed that her former boss thought he might be U.S. …
College students in the U.S. are facing strong pushback after organizations at multiple schools released statements on the Hamas conflict that appeared … Read more
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) penned another fiery letter to House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), again rebuffing his request … Read more
