3 tasks for Congress’s to do list on AI

In recent months, Congress has quickly awakened to the potential power and policy ramifications of rapid advances in generative artificial intelligence (AI). In contrast to its passive, responsive approach to development of other technologies like social media, Congress is actively working to get ahead of the developmental curve when it comes to AI.

Legislators are attempting to make AI-related policy in real time, and their approach to date has largely been focused on defining areas of concern, developing high-level guard rails related to those concerns, and attempting to learn as fast as possible by actively soliciting input from technological, business, academic and national security experts. On Capitol Hill, this listening has been coupled with the introduction of legislative frameworks, such as Senate Majority Leader Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) Security, Accountability, Democratic Foundations, and Explainability (SAFE) Innovation Framework that will both support U.S.-led innovation and safeguard Americans from the potential concerns of AI technologies. These early actions on AI are important and it is critical that the level of urgency present today around this emerging technology continues as the pace of AI deployment has accelerated.

As Congress looks ahead on AI, here are three things lawmakers should prioritize:

I. Maintaining Bipartisan Commitment to AI
Unlike other technological issues, nascent attempts to address AI have not broken down along party lines, creating a seemingly unified commitment from Congress and the Biden administration to create a regulatory approach to AI that is concurrent with cutting edge research, development and deployment.

The fast pace at which this technology is emerging requires continued bipartisan collaboration and commitment to understanding both the opportunities and challenges associated with AI. While intense media attention around this issue will drive individual members to quickly identify their niches or to claim their space on this hot issue, Congress must resist the temptation to weaponize this technology against each other for their own political gain.

As the 2024 election season approaches, candidates on both sides of the aisle will be vulnerable to videos of speeches they never made and photos they never took appearing across social media. The proliferation of these deepfakes can distort people’s perception of candidates, spread disinformation, and create social unrest. Members of Congress and those seeking to join it must unite in a common commitment to combat this type of disinformation, not perpetuate it to score political points or win elections. The stakes are too high, and winning an election via distortion tactics should not supersede bipartisan efforts to put in place AI policies that protect America’s people, economy and national security. 

II. Generating Global AI Guardrails

There is a critical need for global discussion around AI. For the U.S. to demonstrate global leadership around this technology, we cannot afford to have a Democrat vision or Republican vision around AI. We must have a unified vision around U.S. AI policy that can be clearly communicated and advanced globally. U.S. leaders must spur global collaboration amongst allies to ensure AI systems that align with our shared democratic values, protect elections, and promote AI’s societal benefits while avoiding its potential harms are put in place before foreign adversaries can become the authors of the international rules on AI.

Working with our global partners will help to increase understanding of AI applications in context of global economy, as well as support U.S.-led innovation in AI security, transparency and accountability. At the upcoming G7 Summit and other global gatherings such as United Nation’s General Assembly, COP38, and EU-US Trade and Technology Council, U.S. leaders must be prepared to advance high-level discussions around responsible AI practices.

III. Seeking Out Local Perspectives

Just as it is important to remain cohesive nationally and collaborate with global allies on AI, it is essential that congressional leaders understand how AI is impacting local communities. This summer, as members of Congress are back home in their districts it is essential that they facilitate discussions with their constituents and local businesses to get a better understanding of local attitudes and applications of AI.

Many Americans are wary of AI and what it means for their job, their family and their privacy. And rightly so—AI has the potential to transform the way we live, work, learn, obtain goods and services and interact with each other and the world at an alarming speed. Members of Congress must understand these reservations and remain steadfast in their efforts to put in place policies that assuage these concerns, while also explaining the opportunities that AI has and could bring to their communities.

AI will change our society, no doubt about it. But, just as AI’s outputs are largely the result of human inputs, how this emerging technology evolves will be the result of the effort we put into mitigating the risks and maximizing the opportunities of the technology. Congress has a critical role to play in the evolution of AI, and must continue to listen locally, nationally, and internationally to craft AI policy that will move society into the future consciously and collaboratively.

Heidi Heitkamp is a former senator from North Dakota, and currently serves as Director of the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics. She is also the founder of the One Country Project, an organization dedicated to advancing rural America, and a contributor to ABC and CNBC.