Two AI-related bills introduced in US Congress amid generative AI rush

US lawmakers on Thursday introduced two bills related to artificial intelligence in the Senate as the proliferation of the technology continues to gather momentum after the launch of Microsoft-owned OpenAI’s generative AI driven ChatGPT and Google’s Bard.

One of the bills introduced in the Senate necessitates US government bodies or agencies to let citizens or users know when AI is being used to interact with them.

This bill, which was introduced by senators Gary Peters, Mike Braun, and James Lankford representing both the Democrats and Republicans, postulates that government agencies should create a mechanism for citizens to appeal decisions taken by AI.

“The federal government needs to be proactive and transparent with AI utilization and ensure that decisions aren't being made without humans in the driver's seat,” Senator Braun was quoted as saying by Reuters.

Several industry leaders have either warned about the use of AI or spoken at length about controlling the technology.

Last month, hundreds of tech industry leaders, academics, and other public figures signed an open letter warning that artificial intelligence (AI) evolution could lead to extinction and that controlling the tech should be a top global priority.

In the same month, Microsoft president Brad Smith sought the formation of a new US agency to govern AI while expressing its concerns over the safety and security aspects of the latest technology and laying out a blueprint for public governance of AI.

Like the US, other governments worldwide have been grappling with regulations to rein in AI-related dangers.

The other bill introduced in the Senate by Michael Bennet and Mark Warner sought the formation of a body, dubbed Office of Global Competition Analysis, in order to ensure that the US is ahead of other countries in technology prowess, especially in sectors such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum computing, and 5G.

This bill comes just days after a US Treasury official said the country was drafting new regulations that would prohibit investments and transfer of technology to Chinese firms working on developing advanced semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing.