Rep. Jay Obernolte is aiming to, by week’s end, unveil a long-awaited discussion draft of bipartisan legislation to impose a federal regulatory framework on artificial intelligence.
In an interview Wednesday, the California Republican said negotiators are seeking to resolve some “minutia” pieces of the proposal he’s been working on primarily with Rep. Lori Trahan (D-Mass.). Members involved in talks around the bill have in the last few days started circulating text with some rank and file colleagues, party leaders and industry representatives.
GOP leaders are helping to shape the framework, with Speaker Mike Johnson saying in a separate interview Wednesday that “we’re trying to finalize it, because everybody understands it’s an important issue.”
Johnson was scheduled to meet with Open AI CEO Sam Altman to discuss the legislation Wednesday afternoon. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also had plans to meet with Altman on Wednesday, as does the Democrats’ Commission on AI and the Innovation Economy, which Jeffries convened to help his party develop a cohesive position on the emerging technology.
Trahan, in an interview, was not as forthcoming as Obernolte about the status of their legislation.
“Negotiations are the type of thing where we want to get it right, and I feel like we’re making progress, but I can’t give you a definitive timeline,” she said.
She did, however, divulge that she has briefed Jeffries on the framework — something that had not taken place even a few weeks ago.
“We’ve talked to many, many stakeholders, and Leader Jeffries has been one of them,” Trahan said.
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