US bipartisan group publishes laundry list of AI policy requests

After 10 months of work, the bipartisan Task Force on Artificial Intelligence in the US house of Congress has unveiled its report, outlining recommendations for federal AI policy.

The sweeping 253-page report [PDF] makes 89 recommendations based on 66 key findings in 15 different areas. The 24-member (evenly split between Democrats and Republicans) Task Force – an offshoot of the committee on science and space technology – said the aim of all these is to keep the US competitive in AI while simultaneously taking action to address some of the problems that have already arisen due to its rapid rise in relevance. 

“AI has tremendous potential to transform society and our economy for the better and address complex national challenges,” Task Force chairman Jay Obernolte (R-CA) and co-chairman Ted Lieu (D-CA) wrote in an introductory letter accompanying the report. “Nevertheless, we also recognize that AI can be misused and lead to various types of harm.

“This report encapsulates a targeted approach that balances the need to promote vibrant AI innovation while safeguarding Americans from potential harms as we enter an era of widespread adoption of AI,” the chairs added. 

The (proposed) future of US AI policy

The report, which the Task Force said it spent 10 months working on in consultation with “business leaders, government officials, technical experts, academics and legal scholars,” covers a lot of ground.

It examines government AI use, finding that the feds “should be wary” of using algorithms to inform decisions and recommending the development of AI standards. It also highlights the need to invest in AI education to ensure the identified gap in “talent needed to research, develop, and deploy AI applications” doesn’t continue to grow. 

Additionally, the Task Force suggests clarifying intellectual property laws to address challenges posed by GenAI to the creative community, “appropriately countering the growing harm of AI-created deepfakes,” and developing methods to ensure content authenticity can be verified.

The members also say Congress needs to act to ensure new privacy laws are written in a “generally applicable and technology-neutral” manner to conform with future AI challenges, a need to support the Defense Department in the development of safe and responsible AI, the establishment of AI research standards, and providing resources and support for small businesses to adopt AI technologies effectively.

Healthcare, agriculture, and financial services are mentioned as three distinct areas in which AI could play a huge role in coming years – the report identifies the need to properly guide development in those sectors to ensure farmers, patients, and consumers benefit from advancements. 

The report also expresses concern with the “increased risk that malicious actors could use open [source AI] models to cause harm.” It recommends the need to monitor such models for risk without restricting their development, as the Task Force found “limited evidence that open models should be restricted.” 

As for civil rights and civil liberties, the Task Force acknowledges the potential for misuse of AI by the government and law enforcement agencies.

“AI models, and software systems more generally, can produce misleading or inaccurate outputs,” the report finds. “Acting or making decisions based on flawed outputs can deprive Americans of constitutional rights.”

To counter those issues, the report recommends agencies “understand and protect against using AI in discriminatory decision making” and suggests the creation of standards and evaluation procedures “to mitigate flawed decision-making involving AI systems.” 

The American Civil Liberties Union commended the report, with senior policy counsel Cody Venzke expressing satisfaction that the Task Force admitted AI is leading to real harms for Americans due to misuse. 

“Curbing those abuses of AI is not a partisan issue, and more concrete action is needed to protect civil rights, while maintaining states’ authority to build on those protections,” Venzke said. The report also mentions the need for the federal government to take action while being careful not to illegally preempt state laws. 

“The Task Force is appropriately cautious when wrestling with issues around deepfakes, open source AI, digital identity, and other issues, recognizing that legislators should consider a wide array of tailored tools to address real, not speculative, harms while respecting civil rights and civil liberties,” Venzke added.

The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (LCCRUL) was less impressed. 

“We can’t allow Congress to sign blank checks funding AI development, while Black people and other communities of color pay the cost of AI adoption,” said LCCRUL policy counsel Alex Ault. “It is imperative that our lawmakers do more than just discuss the necessary measures needed to ensure that AI serves the public good and doesn’t exacerbate longstanding inequities.”

Will the Trump administration act on the recommendations?

While there’s no sure way to know what the incoming administration of president elect Donald Trump has planned for AI policy, Task Force chair Obernolte seems to think Trump and his team are at least willing to entertain the recommendations. 

“We met with the Trump technology transition team last week, and I believe we’re meeting with the AI czar this afternoon,” Obernolte said during a press conference discussing the report yesterday. “Obviously, this is not the last word in AI – it’s the beginning of the conversation and it will only be effective if future Congresses implement some of the recommendations we have created. 

“We need to be a partner with the executive branch in making that happen … this has to be a team effort,” Obernolte continued, citing the need for cooperation between the House, Senate and White House. “We think all of those entities are up to the challenge.” 

Speaking to reporters afterward, Obernolte mentioned he was delighted by Trump’s appointment of billionaire tech entrepreneur and venture capitalist David Sacks as “AI czar” to help steer policy, citing it as evidence the incoming administration was paying attention to the issue. 

“We hope [the report] sets a thoughtful and deliberate path for future Congresses to implement in achieving a balance between protecting Americans against the potential harms of AI and enabling AI innovation to flourish,” Obernolte said at the end of the press conference. 

In short, decent AI policy is now in the hands of the US Congress. With that in mind, your mileage may vary. ®

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