Hurd pushes for national AI strategy

U.S. Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) on Sept. 16 unveiled a bipartisan concurrent resolution calling for the creation of a national artificial intelligence (AI) strategy.

“America leads the world in innovation, but to keep up we must embrace AI in the government, private sector and education,” Rep. Hurd said. “This means preparing America’s workforce, countering our adversaries’ commitment to AI, investing in R&D, and shaping the ethical guidelines and rules of AI-based on America’s values, not that of an authoritarian regime, like Russia or China.” 

Rep. Hurd sponsored House Concurrent Resolution 116 with seven original cosponsors, including U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL), to express the sense of Congress with respect to the principles that should guide the national artificial intelligence strategy of the United States, according to the text of the resolution.

“I’m proud to introduce a resolution with my colleague Rep. Robin Kelly today calling for the creation of a national AI strategy,” said Rep. Hurd. “This is a step forward our country must take to help us retain America’s edge in AI and secure the next 70 years of American-led international prosperity and security.” 

The resolution is the result of almost a year of coordination between lawmakers, stakeholders and the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), and includes recommendations from four white papers the congressmen created with the BPC on the workforce, national security, research and development (R&D), and ethics. 

Rep. Hurd, his colleagues, and the BPC identified 78 specific actions that will guide America toward responsible AI innovation. The principles guiding these recommendations are included in the resolution, according to the congressman’s office, such as that AI will transform the nature of work and nearly all aspects of the U.S. economy; AI will have immense implications for the security of the U.S. and its allies and partners; and investments made by the U.S. government will be instrumental in the R&D of AI and AI-enabling technologies, as it has been for many of the world’s revolutionary technologies, according to the text of the resolution. 

“Given there is potential for Mandarin and the yuan — not English and the dollar — to dominate the global economy, it makes passing this resolution and striving for American AI leadership all the more important,” Rep. Hurd said.