House panel approves ChatGPT use for some staffers

The House Administration Committee has approved the use of ChatGPT, the popular chatbot powered by artificial intelligence (AI), for some of its staffers, the panel revealed in a new report.

The committee approved the use of ChatGPT Plus, a paid subscription plan for the chatbot, for “a cross-section of … committee staff” and held an initial training on the tool, according to the report on AI strategy and implementation in the House.

“Information from this early use will help form committee-level best practices which can be shared internally,” the report noted.

The report is part of an effort by the House Administration Committee to “provide a transparent update to the public on the use of AI technology by House offices and legislative branch agencies,” it said.

ChatGPT, which was first launched by OpenAI in late 2022, quickly took off, sparking a race among major technology companies to develop and release their own publicly available AI models.

As AI development moves forward at a rapid pace, Congress has struggled to keep up. 

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who leads the chamber’s bipartisan working group on AI, held several AI insight forums to inform potential legislation late last year, and the House announced a bipartisan task force on AI in February. However, Congress still has yet to pass legislation in response to the technology’s rise.