Senators are meeting with leading Big Tech executives this week as part of a new push to write rules for artificial intelligence focused on limiting danger and safeguarding innovation.
The Senate Judiciary and Commerce Committees ramped up their reviews of the emerging technology on Tuesday and huddled with AI experts from companies including Microsoft and computer chip maker Nvidia.
The public committee hearings come before senators are expected to meet privately with Elon Musk and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, among others about AI this week.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Democrat, said Tuesday that people hunger for AI rules and he intends to feed them.
“Make no mistake, there will be regulation,” Mr. Blumenthal said at a judiciary committee hearing. “The only question is how soon and what.”
Microsoft President Brad Smith told senators on Tuesday that he wants Congress to create a new regulator specifically for AI that prioritizes safety and national security.
“Let’s require licenses for advanced AI models and uses in high-risk scenarios,” Mr. Smith said at the judiciary committee hearing. “Let’s have an agency that is independent and can exercise real and effective oversight over this category.”
Other Big Tech titans also support new AI regulation, including Google and software company Adobe.
The intentional misuse of AI tools potentially harming the creative community using Adobe’s products pushed the software company to pressure Congress on Tuesday to intervene.
Adobe executive Dana Rao said his company wants lawmakers to create a “Federal Anti-Impersonation Right” he dubbed the FAIR Act because he said intentional impersonation powered by AI for personal gain is unfair.
“Such a law would provide a right of action to an artist against those that are intentionally and commercially impersonating their work or likeness through AI tools,” Mr. Rao wrote on Adobe’s blog. “This protection would provide a new mechanism for artists to protect their livelihood from people misusing this new technology, without having to rely solely on laws around copyright and fair use.”
Adobe is among eight companies that President Biden’s team said made new commitments on Tuesday to make AI products safe. Mr. Biden previously touted agreements on AI from seven companies in July and his team promoted new additions on Tuesday, including IBM, Nvidia and Palantir.
“These commitments, which the companies have chosen to undertake immediately, underscore three principles that must be fundamental to the future of AI — safety, security, and trust — and mark a critical step toward developing responsible AI,” the White House said in a statement on Tuesday. “As the pace of innovation continues to accelerate, the Biden-Harris administration will continue to take decisive action to keep Americans safe and protect their rights.”
The commitments’ effectiveness depends upon the companies’ willingness to follow through on their promises and the agreements do not directly address AI developers in adversary nations such as China and Russia making harmful tools.
Efforts to turn concerns about AI into enforceable laws are well underway in Congress and led by Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer.
The New York Democrat is convening a forum this week for lawmakers to meet with tech experts expected to include Mr. Musk, Mr. Zuckerberg and others to discuss AI in private, bypassing the traditional Senate committee structure.
• Ryan Lovelace can be reached at rlovelace@washingtontimes.com.