Washington, D.C. — Today, a bipartisan group of lawmakers released a roadmap for addressing artificial intelligence (AI). In response, Patrick Gaspard, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
This AI roadmap demonstrates agreement across the aisle that Congress must work to set the rules of the road as we invest in our future. A key part of this urgency is the need to pass a comprehensive federal privacy law, which has bipartisan support in the report.
AI has the potential to reshape our society and economy, and it demands bold action to ensure we don’t repeat the same mistakes we did by leaving social media unregulated. Regulations are necessary to ensure that AI tools are safe, effective, and free from discrimination. While the roadmap acknowledges some of the technology’s real-world harms, it also underscores gaps in agreement on how to effectively address them.
The roadmap correctly identifies only one high-risk area in which AI should be prohibited—social scoring. Tools that are biased and discriminatory also must be banned, full stop. And any regulatory framework must contemplate prohibiting or restricting other high-risk uses, such as automated firing of workers, life-and-death health care decisions, and even the federal government’s use of AI. We know what will happen if we leave it up to industry to self-police.
Setting the right rules of the road will improve—not hinder—innovation and our global competitiveness. As Senate committees take up the business of legislating, they must build on top of this framework and not be limited by it, so we can ensure AI benefits all Americans.
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected].