Schumer Wants Framework For AI Regulation After Recess

In a letter to Senate Democrats on Friday morning, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) indicated that he is serious about pushing through a regulatory framework for artificial intelligence when Congress returns from its August recess.

Schumer wrote that he is planning a series of bipartisan “AI Insight Forums” in a bid to get lawmakers caught up on the rapidly advancing technology. The first one, on Sept. 13, is expected to feature tech leaders like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Sam Altman, among others.

“These forums will build on the longstanding work of our Committees by supercharging the Senate’s typical process so we can stay ahead of AI’s rapid development,” Schumer said. “This is not going to be easy, it will be one of the most difficult things we undertake, but in the twenty-first century we cannot behave like ostriches in the sand when it comes to AI. We must treat AI with the same level of seriousness as national security, job creation, and our civil liberties.”

Schumer convened a bipartisan AI working group dedicated to getting their colleagues caught up enough to discuss regulatory efforts. A member of that group, Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) praised the forum series to Fox News Digital and affirmed they would help put lawmakers “in the driver’s seat” on AI.

“The AI Insight Forums will be a comprehensive way for Congress to explore key policy issues, opportunities, and threats related to artificial intelligence as we develop potential legislative solutions,” Young said. “The Forums’ style will allow us to explore, with the help of experts and stakeholders, a wide range of topics at a deep level while keeping committees of jurisdiction and their members in the driver’s seat when it comes to the legislative outcomes.”