As companies roll out more AI tools for commercial use, Wednesday’s House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing focused on concerns around how AI systems collect and use data.
Lawmakers heard from a range of experts and witnesses impacted by the rise in AI.
Witnesses included former Federal Trade Commission (FCC) Chairman Jon Leibowitz and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) member Clark Gregg, an actor known for his role as Phil Coulson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Amba Kak, executive director of the AI Now Institute, an AI research nonprofit, who also testified Wednesday, said lawmakers should be cognizant of the regulatory tools and frameworks already in place to address risks.
“There’s a tendency in this kind of hype moment to assume that we’re operating from a blank slate. In fact, we already have many of the regulatory tools that we need to govern and regulate AI effectively,” Kak told The Hill.
“The notion that we need to somehow wipe away years of regulation and policy-thinking and create new frameworks from scratch really only serves the largest industry players more than it serves the rest of us,” Kak added.
Throughout the hearing, the expert panel pushed lawmakers to advance a comprehensive data privacy bill — touting support for the American Data Privacy Protection Act (ADPPA).
The ADPPA advanced out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee last year with bipartisan support, but it was not called for a floor vote.
The bill would set a national standard for how tech companies collect and use consumer data. It would also give users the ability to sue over violations of the law through private right of action.
Read more in a full report at TheHill.com.
