Senate Leader Calls for AI Rules as ChatGPT Surges in Popularity
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has launched an effort to establish rules on artificial intelligence to address national security and education concerns as the use of programs like ChatGPT becomes widespread. Schumer, a Democrat, drafted and circulated a framework that outlines a new regulatory regime that would prevent potentially catastrophic damage to our country while simultaneously making sure the U.S. advances and leads in this transformative technology.
ChatGPT, an AI program that recently grabbed the public’s attention for its ability to write answers quickly to a wide range of queries, in particular, has attracted U.S. lawmakers’ attention. It has become the fastest-growing consumer application in history with more than 100 million monthly active users.
Schumer’s proposal aims to require companies to allow independent experts to review and test AI technologies ahead of public release or update, and give users access to findings. The Senate Leader has cited China’s release this week of its own approach to regulating AI, calling it “a wake-up call to the nation.”
“Time is of the essence to get ahead of this powerful new technology to prevent potentially wide-ranging damage to society and national security and instead put it to positive use by advancing strong, bipartisan legislation,” Schumer said.
The proposed regulations would need the approval of Congress and the White House and could still take months or more. However, it is the most concrete step yet that the U.S. government may adopt new regulations to address rising concerns about generative AI.
Microsoft Corp is a big investor in OpenAI, which created ChatGPT. The software company, and Alphabet Inc’s Google, has been pouring billions of dollars into AI to gain an edge amid heightened competition in Silicon Valley.
In conclusion, Schumer's proposal can potentially prevent catastrophic damage while ensuring the U.S. leads in this transformative technology. It shows the importance of regulating AI to address concerns, national security, and education.
