Ranking Member Lofgren Opening Statement for Hearing on Artificial Intelligence
Today, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology is holding a Full Committee hearing titled, Artificial Intelligence: Advancing Innovation Towards the National Interest.
Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren's (D-CA) opening statement as prepared for the record is below.
Thank you, Chairman Lucas, for holding today’s hearing. I would also like to welcome our distinguished panel of witnesses.
Artificial Intelligence opens the door to untold benefits for society, and I’m truly excited about its potential.
However, AI could create risks including with respect to misinformation and discrimination. It will create significant risks to our Nation’s cybersecurity in the near term. There may be medium- and long-term risks to economic and national security. Some have even posited even existential risks to the very nature of our society.
We are here today to learn more about the benefits and risks associated with artificial intelligence. This is a topic that has caught the attention of many lawmakers in both chambers across many committees. However, none of this is new to the Science Committee. In 2020, Members of this Committee developed and enacted the National AI Initiative Act to advance research, workforce development, and standards for trustworthy AI.
The Federal science agencies have since taken significant steps to implement this law, including, notably, NIST’s work on the AI Risk Management Framework. However, we are still in the early days of understanding how AI systems work and how to effectively govern them, even as the technology itself continues to rapidly advance in both capabilities and applications. I do believe regulation of AI may be necessary, but I am also keenly aware that we must strike a balance that allows for innovation and ensures the U.S. maintains leadership.
While the contours of a regulatory framework are still being debated, it is clear we will need a suite of tools. Some risks can be addressed by the laws and standards already on the books. It's possible others may need new rules and norms.
Even as this debate continues, Congress can act now to improve trust in AI systems and ensure America’s continued leadership in AI. At a minimum, we need to be investing in the research and workforce to help us develop the tools we will need going forward.
Let me just wrap up with a few concrete challenges I’d like to address in this hearing. One is the intersection of AI and intellectual property. Whether addressing AI-based inputs or outputs, it is my sincere hope that the content creation community and AI platforms can advance their dialogue and arrive at a mutually agreeable solution.
Finally, research infrastructure and workforce challenges are also top of mind. One of the major barriers to developing an AI-capable workforce and ensuring long-term U.S. leadership is a lack of access to computing and training data for all but large companies and the most well-resourced institutions. There are good ideas already underway at our agencies to address this challenge. I’d like to hear the panel’s input on what’s needed. It is my hope that we in Congress can quickly move beyond the fact-finding stage to focus on what this institution can realistically do to address the development and deployment of trustworthy AI.
At this hearing, I hope we can discuss what the Science Committee should focus on.
I look forward to today’s very important discussion with stakeholders from industry, academia, and venture capital. As a representative from Silicon Valley, I know how important private capital is to the U.S. R&D Ecosystem. Thank you all for being with us today.
I yield back.
Next Article Previous Article