Despite opposition from big tech companies, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) asserts that federal regulation of AI is on the horizon. Blackburn explains, “We have to have the states standing in the gap until such time that Congress will say no to the big tech platforms.”
CNBC reports that as concerns among Americans grow regarding the risks associated with AI, states have begun implementing their own AI-focused laws to address safety and privacy issues. However, Sen. Marsha Blackburn believes that federal legislators must intervene to establish a preemptive standard.
Speaking at the CNBC AI Summit in Nashville on Wednesday, Blackburn stated, “The reason the states have stepped in, whether it’s to protect consumers or protect children, is because the federal government has, to date, not been able to pass any federal preemptive legislation.” She added, “We have to have the states standing in the gap until such time that Congress will say no to the big tech platforms.”
Blackburn has been a long-time advocate for children’s online safety and social media regulation. In 2022, she introduced the Kid’s Online Safety Act, which aims to establish guidelines to protect minors from harmful material on online platforms. The bipartisan legislation has passed the Senate with an overwhelming majority, and Blackburn expressed hope that the House will take up and pass the bill, despite efforts by big tech companies to delay its passage.
The concerns addressed by the Kid’s Online Safety Act have now expanded alongside the rise of AI. Blackburn emphasized the need for an online consumer privacy protection bill that would allow people to set firewalls and protect their virtual identities. She noted that once a large language model (LLM) collects an individual’s data and information, it can be used to train the AI model.
In addition to the online privacy bill, Blackburn is focusing on other ways to safeguard the information used by AI. This includes a bill that addresses how AI can use a person’s name, image, or likeness without their consent. “We have to have a way to protect our information in the virtual spaces just as we do in the physical space,” Blackburn stated.
Given the rapid advancement of AI, Blackburn acknowledged that regulation would need to focus on “end-use utilizations and legislate that framework in that manner and not focus on a given delivery system or a given technology.” This approach would allow legislators to react to the ways AI companies change their products.
Blackburn also highlighted the growing concerns among parents about the impact of AI and virtual experiences on their children. She mentioned that many parents are now considering not allowing their children to have cell phones until they are 16, likening it to the age restriction for driving a car.
Read more at CNBC here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
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