Rep. Pete Olson (TX) today joined with his Democrat counterpart Rep. John Delaney (MD) to launch the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Caucus for the 115th Congress. The goal of the caucus is to inform policymakers of the technological, economic and social impacts of advances in AI and to ensure that rapid innovation in AI and related fields benefits Americans as fully as possible. The AI Caucus will bring together experts from academia, government and the private sector to discuss the latest technologies and the implications and opportunities created by these new changes. The AI Caucus has already begun meeting with experts this Congress and will participate in a congressional briefing hosted by IBM on June 28, with additional events to follow.
“Artificial Intelligence is no longer science fiction. For many, it is part of daily life – from social media feeds to the digital assistant on our phones,” said Congressman Pete Olson. “AI will only continue to grow and policymakers have a responsibility to be forward thinking with respect to the revolutionary applications of it in our society. I agree with Congressman Delaney that it will be a positive transformational force. This AI Caucus will give us a platform to engage in smart policies to improve outcomes as this technology continues to be part of our daily lives.”
“Artificial Intelligence promises to be one of the paradigm-shifting developments of the next century, with the potential to reshape our economy and daily life just as fully as the internal combustion engine or the semiconductor. As lawmakers, our choice is to either get caught flat-footed or to proactively anticipate how things will change and work on smart policies to make sure that the country benefits as much as possible overall. We have to start becoming future-focused when it comes to policy,” said Congressman John Delaney. “In my view, there is tremendous potential for AI to be a positive transformational force, but also understandable concern about the impact that disruption could have on existing jobs. Step one is hearing from those working at the cutting edge, as well as from experts who are modelling the changes to come so that we can start an entirely new discussion. That is what is needed and that’s why this caucus is so important. I look forward to working with Congressman Olson on this important issue and leading a bipartisan and forward-looking discussion.”
Additional Caucus members include: Reps. Jared Polis (CO-2), Derek Kilmer (WA-6), Anna G. Eschoo (CA-18), Andre Carson (IN-07) and Debbie Dingell (MI-12).