House Speaker Mike Johnson is launching a formal “task force” to consider how the United States can remain competitive in artificial intelligence (AI) while managing the risks of rapidly evolving technology.
“Advances in artificial intelligence have the potential to rapidly transform our economy and society, so we need Congress to work together in a bipartisan manner to understand both the promise and the complexities of this transformative technology. It’s important to plan,” Johnson, R-Los Angeles, said in a statement Monday morning.
The new project is bipartisan and is the result of discussions between Mr. Johnson and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (DN.Y.).
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Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has created a new task force in Congress to study AI. (Photo provided by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
Mr Johnson said the task force would be made up of MPs “with expertise in AI and representing relevant committees in their jurisdictions”.
“Congress has a responsibility to advance the breakthroughs that artificial intelligence can bring and to ensure that ordinary Americans can benefit from these advances in an equitable manner,” Jeffries said. said. “The rise of artificial intelligence also brings a unique set of challenges, and certain guardrails need to be put in place to protect the American people.”
The group’s co-chairs are the members who have been most vocal on AI: Rep. Jay Obanolte (R-Calif.) and Rep. Ted Lieu (D), chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee Oversight Subcommittee. . – California, member of the House Judiciary Committee Internet Subcommittee.
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House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries co-led the effort with House Speaker Mike Johnson. (Getty Images)
Obernolte and Liu are both members of the House AI Caucus.
Mr Johnson has yet to set out a clear strategy for how he will deal with AI, but he has been firmly committed to the issue since taking the chair in October. That included a meeting with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman last month, after which Johnson told reporters “we discussed where we are in terms of Congress’s approach to AI.” he said.
But as Congress continues to learn about AI, there appears to be little movement or agreement in the legislative arena.
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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced an AI framework last year, but little progress has been made publicly. (Mandel Gann/AFP via Getty Images)
A number of bills were introduced last year that touch on AI issues such as deepfakes and intellectual property rights, but none of them have reached a vote in the House of Representatives.
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In the Senate, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s promised AI legislative framework has made little progress publicly beyond his announcement late last year.
There also remains disagreement within Congress over whether AI should be regulated at this stage, or whether regulatory burdens could stifle U.S. innovation in the field.
