U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Todd Young (R-IN), members of the Bipartisan Senate AI Working Group, on May 15 released a roadmap for artificial intelligence (AI) policy.
“The rapid pace of AI innovation brought this bipartisan working group together to consider how policymakers can ensure the incredible and promising aspects of AI are able to flourish while guarding against its risks,” Sen. Young said. “This roadmap represents the most comprehensive and impactful bipartisan recommendations on artificial intelligence ever issued by the legislative branch.
“Our goal is to ensure the United States maintains its leadership in AI innovation, enabling the American people to reap the substantial national security, economic, and societal benefits of an AI-driven future,” he added.
The roadmap summarizes the group’s findings from the nine AI Insight Forums it held, and lays out several policy priorities that the senators think merit bipartisan consideration in the U.S. Senate, according to a one-page summary of the roadmap.
“Ultimately, it is our hope this roadmap helps to inform consideration of bipartisan AI legislation, ensure the United States remains at the forefront of innovation in AI, and helps all Americans benefit from the opportunities created by AI,” according to the group, which also includes U.S. Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) and U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM).
Policy priorities highlighted in the roadmap include increasing funding for AI innovation in the states; bolstering national security by leading globally in the adoption of emerging technologies and addressing national security threats, risks, and opportunities for AI; establishing a comprehensive federal data privacy framework; and mitigating the threat of potential long-term risk scenarios, among several others, the summary says.
“Artificial intelligence is already changing our world as we know it,” Sen. Rounds said. “This roadmap to the future of AI sets the stage as we seek to harness its power to bring greater prosperity to the American people while also mitigating potential long-term risks.
“I look forward to seeing how my colleagues use their policy expertise in each committee to address these issues through regular order,” said Sen. Rounds. “We have a real opportunity to shape its future, and we need to embrace this challenge with open arms.”