Experts say AI poses ‘extinction’ level of risk, as Congress seeks legislative response – JP

While lawmakers, industry executives and experts in the U.S. agree that “we need some regulation, some guardrails, some guidelines, some rules of the road … lawmakers in the U.S. don’t seem to have any clear vision regarding what that should look like,” Kumayama said. 

One proposal from the 117th Congress, known as the Algorithmic Accountability Act and sponsored by Rep. Yvette D. Clarke, D-N.Y., was backed by 39 other Democrats but failed to advance in the House. 

That measure, which would have empowered the FTC to assess the impact of AI systems, was a good start, but it applied only to large companies and left out smaller companies that often are the ones that drive innovation in artificial intelligence, Kumayama said. 

President Joe Biden in April called on tech companies to ensure that their AI systems are “safe before making them public.” His comments led the NTIA to ask industry groups and tech experts to weigh in. 

“Much as financial audits create trust in the accuracy of financial statements, accountability mechanisms for AI can help assure that an AI system is trustworthy,” Alan Davidson, the assistant secretary of communications and information at the NTIA, said at the time.