On May 15, four senators from both parties asked Congress to move quickly and bravely to keep the US at the top of the field of artificial intelligence (AI). The senators and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer devised a plan to spend $32 billion over the next three years to make AI better in the United States.
They wrote a detailed 31-page plan for the future called “Driving U.S. Innovation in Artificial Intelligence.” The group included two Democrats and two Republicans. The plan is meant to help the US deal with the risks and benefit from the opportunities that come with rapidly changing technology. Much of the money offered would go to AI projects that have nothing to do with defence, but a lot of it is also set aside for AI projects that have something to do with defence.
US Senators Prioritize AI Research and Development
The senators also discussed the importance of the government’s research and development in AI. Projects are underway to prepare data for AI and build government infrastructure for testing and reviewing AI. Schumer’s invested seems more important by raising concerns about China’s big AI investments. “They will always beat us if they are going to invest $50 billion, and we will invest almost nothing.” “That’s why these investments are so important,” he stated.
Many people think that the senators’ plan to invest in AI could help the US deal with growing worries about China’s progress in the field. Washington fears that Beijing could use AI for bad things, like meddling in the presidential race or launching cyberattacks. To lower these risks, the plan calls for a federal data privacy law and backs laws that stop election campaigns from using deepfake technology.
The lawmakers also asked for rules to deal with problems like health and financial discrimination, job loss, and property violations caused by AI. Senator Amy Klobuchar from Minnesota spoke out in favour of the plan and said it was important for journalism, where copyright violations have been a big problem.
At the same time, US politicians are sounding the alarm about the dangers AI could pose to elections, especially its ability to trick voters. The Senate Rules Committee on May 15 moved forward with the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act, the AI Transparency in Elections Act, and the Preparing Election Administrators for AI Act. All three bills are meant to address this problem.
The Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act, introduced by Senator Amy Klobuchar and backed by Senator Josh Hawley, would make it illegal to use video or audio made by AI to discuss federal politicians. The Preparing Election Administrators for AI Act aims to create guidelines to protect against external AI threats, especially from foreign enemies. The AI Transparency in Elections Act requires election ads to include information about AI.
Because of recent events, these changes to the law are even more important. A fake call from President Joe Biden in February and a campaign video for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in June used pictures of former President Donald Trump made by AI. This showed how dangerous AI can be in elections. These events make it clear that steps must be taken immediately to keep AI from hacking into the democratic system.
The EU has also taken the lead in this area. In March 2024, they set an example by passing the AI Regulation Act. Now, they are closely monitoring Big Tech to see how AI could affect elections. More and more people are becoming aware of how important it is to deal with AI’s possible risks to democracy and national security.
Overall, the planned $32 billion AI investment plan and new laws are big steps that US lawmakers are taking to ensure that the country stays on the cutting edge of AI development while also protecting democracy and addressing the risks that could come with this game-changing technology.
