Congress could consider new legislation this year on artificial intelligence and its impact on elections, according to the chairman of the House’s new AI Select Committee.
“I hope that we can actually start writing and passing some legislation. I think we’re fortunate that there are some things that are very pressing regarding AI, but there are other things that are relevant to the medium.” “It’s a long-term, long-term threat that doesn’t need immediate attention,” Rep. Jay Obanorte, R-Calif., said in an interview on Fox News Digital.
“But we think these near-term threats can be mitigated over the course of this year, and we’re hopeful that the task force will be able to accomplish that.”
Asked to elaborate on his short-term legislative goals, Obernolte said, “With the election coming up, we all agree that AI will not be used to spread myths or disseminate disparate information about candidates. I think it’s something we should be able to do.” It’s bad for society, but it’s something that can threaten people’s faith in our democracy. ”
How AI can manipulate voters and undermine elections that threaten democracy
Rep. Jay Obanolte is the chair of the House’s new AI Task Force.
The bill related to combating AI-generated disinformation comes amid a flurry of other legislative proposals as lawmakers race to stay ahead of rapidly emerging technology. But so far, no countermeasures have attracted much attention.
Obernolte, who spent his career as a video game developer before being elected to Congress, calls himself an “AI optimist.”
He said it has the power to improve Americans’ daily lives, including by lowering food and gasoline prices.
“Increasing the productivity of our economy has the natural consequence of lowering the cost of producing things, which in turn creates a wave of prosperity that lifts all boats. This is why AI will make tremendous progress. That’s one reason why: It’s forever empowering,” Obernolte explained.
What is artificial intelligence (AI)?
AI-related bills have been proposed one after another in this Congress. (eye stock)
The California Republican added that the development of AI comes with “significant risks,” including more sophisticated cybercrime activity, adding that AI could be “used by nefarious actors to spread myths and disinformation.” ”, adding that this includes “penetrating the privacy of digital data” to steal people’s information.
“We’re saying that bad people will always be bad people, and with AI, they’ll be more effective at being bad. That’s why we’re using AI to enhance the ability of cybercriminals to commit cyber fraud,” he said. You can.”
The task force was formed as a bipartisan effort announced last month by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-Danetina). It will be co-chaired by Obanorte’s fellow Democrat, Rep. Ted Lieu.
Obernolte said his task force’s main focus is to produce a comprehensive report with recommendations on next steps regarding Congress’ role in AI. But he stressed that legislation should be the ultimate goal to provide long-term stability for the new industry.
Opinion: How AI is driving healthcare that meets consumer expectations
The task force was created by Chairman Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. (Getty)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“Just talking about it, just having meetings, or just writing reports, doesn’t help anyone. You have to actually get things passed, but whatever gets passed is the best I think the goal is for it to be “durable,” he said.
“These companies are currently investing hundreds of millions of dollars to train these large language models, and in the future, their prices will rise exponentially. If they don’t, no one is going to make that kind of capital investment.” Unless there is some confidence that the rules will not change as the winds of political power change, they will not have some degree of durability. ”
