Schumer Expects Comprehensive AI Bill in a Matter of Months
Congress hopes to advance comprehensive legislation to regulate AI in a matter of months, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told a Center for Strategic & International Studies event Wednesday.
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Schumer last week kicked off a series of Senate briefings on AI, a topic grabbing attention on Capitol Hill (see 2306130056 and 2306140043). On Wednesday, Schumer issued a proposed policy framework emphasizing AI’s security, accountability, foundations and explainability, which he dubbed the Safe Innovation Framework for AI.
“We’re not going to set an artificial deadline,” Schumer said of comprehensive legislation. “It’s not going to be days or weeks, but it’s not going to be years. Months would be the proper timeline that I would give you.” Schumer formed a bipartisan working group with Sens. Todd Young, R-Ind.; Martin Heinrich, D-N.M.; and Mike Rounds, R-S.D.
Congress should create policies that spur widespread adoption of AI technology in the public sector, the Center for Data Innovation said in response to Schumer’s speech. It’s “critical” for Congress to “help accelerate the public-sector adoption of AI by addressing challenges of acquisition, funding and oversight as well as industry adoption of AI by supporting sector-specific AI strategies,” said Senior Policy Analyst Hodan Omaar. The Computer & Communications Industry Association said it seeks “smart regulation and governance.”
Schumer said he’s focused on discussions with Heinrich, Young and Rounds, but they will need input from committee chairs and ranking members to develop the “right proposals.” He said he's seeking the help of senators who have been vocal on the issue: Colorado’s Michael Bennet (D), South Dakota’s John Thune (R), Connecticut’s Richard Blumenthal (D), Tennessee's Marsha Blackburn (R) and Missouri’s Josh Hawley (R). Blumenthal and Hawley introduced legislation (see 2306150059 and 2306200065) earlier this month seeking to clarify that Communications Decency Act Section 230 doesn’t apply to claims driven by generative AI.
While traditional committee hearings will “play an essential role” in developing legislation, that won’t “suffice” on its own, said Schumer. He plans to host a series of “AI insight forums” with “top AI experts” to help advance this “unique approach” to developing legislation. The framework’s “north star” will remain “innovation,” he said. He highlighted a series of discussion points, including: finding the right balance between collaboration and competition among AI developers, federal intervention on the “tax and spending side” and finding the right balance between private and open AI systems. “Is federal intervention to encourage innovation necessary at all, or should we let the private sector develop on its own?” he asked. Innovation should be “open to everyone,” not just powerful corporations, he said. “The government must play a role ensuring open, free, and fair competition.”
AI will have serious ramifications for manual labor in industries like trucking, manufacturing and energy, plus jobs in “sales, marketing, coding, software development, banking, law and other skilled occupations,” he said. The erosion of the middle class could get “much worse” if there aren’t measures to “prevent job loss or misdistribution of income,” he said.