‘AI is everywhere’: Senators lay out priorities to regulate artificial intelligence to protect data privacy at CES

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — From cooking and agriculture to cars and safety, artificial intelligence (AI) is seemingly everywhere. This year, it’s also on U.S. senators’ priority lists.

A bipartisan mix of senators acknowledged the urgency to regulate the advancing technology during the Senate Perspectives on Emerging Tech Policy CES panel Friday morning, moderated by Nevada Senator and Former Computer Programmer Jacky Rosen. Democratic Colorado Senator John Hickenlooper said it’s advancing faster than the governmental regulatory process.

“We don’t have time to use those old processes, so we’re having to innovate as well,” Hickenlooper said, addressing the crowd. “It is a revolution that’s taking place dramatically in real time. AI is everywhere.”

AI, defined by Oxford Languages as “the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence,” depends on learning. It learns from whatever data is accessible to it.

Lawmakers said they’re pursuing efforts to balance the benefits that AI might bring while protecting what data it can access.

“What’s going to be harvest, harvested, does not include all of this information in the area of health,” Democratic New Mexico Senator Ben Ray Luján said.

They say those restrictions would come through federal policy. Among data protection laws already on the books, these senators advocate for one tailored specifically to AI as much existing law does not address individual data privacy protections from AI.

In an age where data is gold and AI is turning permanent, they also address the need for education to train the human monitors of “secure and transparent education,” Republican Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis said.

“We need to learn more about what you’re doing to identify programs for either internships or innovations in training,” Lummis said, speaking to the crowd of tech innovators. “People can learn online very specific talents and skills that can be applied so they can have a robust opportunity to contribute to the innovations you’re providing.”

“Community college, apprenticeships, mid-career upscaling or reskilling, particularly for women who may have childcare— stepped away for childcare responsibilities,” Rosen said. “If we don’t this investment in the infrastructure of workforce, we won’t be able to have the innovation.”

As they pointed out, these efforts depend on bipartisan coordination on Capitol Hill to successfully fulfill these priorities.

The panel said other tech priorities in the new year include bridging the digital divide in rural areas, increasing high-speed internet access, limiting intoxicated driving with new technology and advancing semiconductor technology in the United States.

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