House Democrat Wants More Presidential Leadership on AI
The U.S. needs more presidential leadership on developing artificial intelligence, said Rep. John Delaney, D-Md., Thursday. The founder of the AI Caucus told us he expects movement on his legislation to establish a federal advisory committee for development and implementation of AI.
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The bill is “bipartisan, and it’s related to an area that we all should agree on, so yeah I do” think there’s going to be movement on the Fundamentally Understanding the Usability and Realistic Evolution of Artificial Intelligence Act of 2017 (Future) (HR-4625), Delaney said before his appearance at a Technology Policy Institute conference. The bill, sponsored by six Democrats and two Republicans, isn't “particularly controversial,” he noted, saying the group has been pushing for a hearing. The advisory committee would be a “safe place for people to go” if they want to learn about the implications of AI, he said, calling it “an incredibly important topic" (see 1712120051).
During later Q-and-A, Delaney was asked what role the White House should play in formulating AI strategy. One role, Delaney said, is to lead the country into important conversations “in a way that’s truthful, balanced and hopefully optimistic.” This White House is “more backwards-focused on some issues than they are forwards-focused on some issues,” he said. “This is an issue that we need more presidential leadership on,” said Delaney, who in July announced he's running for president in 2020.
The Future Act calls for workforce planning, promotion of American global competitiveness for AI, unbiased development of the technology and privacy protections. Government “lives in the moment” and doesn’t do a good job forecasting trends, Delaney said. Large parts of the country were hollowed out by globalization, he said, though he believes innovation is always a net positive. The government didn't lead the country well through the cost of change, he said. “We’re going to watch this movie play out again” with the next wave of tech innovation, he said, saying AI is going to be a disruptive and “very big test.”
Delaney believes AI will inevitably displace jobs, but he thinks it will also create more positions that can't be predicted. He understands discussion around AI “freaks” people out when thinking about the workforce’s future. Delaney thinks many observers overestimate f full-time jobs lost to automation and many jobs will have only certain tasks replaced. That will mean narrower worker skill sets, but it also opens the door for new skills, like working alongside AI, he added.
Delaney worries about the impact on American youth from AI, while discussing digital products that monitor and learn from a person’s facial expressions. He called it a form of “brainwashing” to use facial reactions to sell products.