(The Center Square) – Civil rights and liberties were among the priorities advocated by a North Carolina congresswoman and included in a comprehensive report on artificial intelligence released Tuesday by a U.S. House of Representatives task force.
The 24-member body, equally represented from both major parties and representative of 20 chamber committees, put together guiding principles, 66 key findings and 89 recommendations.
“This report is a critical first step towards ensuring that Congress can properly address advances in emerging AI technologies and maintain a thoughtful long-term vision for AI that betters our society,” said North Carolina’s lone task force member, Democratic Rep. Valerie Foushee. “During my time with the task force, I have been proud to champion several key priorities outlined in this report, including broadening participation in AI research, development, and education, protecting civil rights and liberties, and assessing and understanding AI’s rising environmental and energy impacts.”
Foushee, elected to a second term last month in the 4th Congressional District, said in a release that the chapter of the report on civil rights and civil liberties includes findings that “improper use of AI can violate laws and deprive Americans of their civil rights.”
Congress, it says, should be “mitigating harmful outcomes that impact Americans’ civil rights and civil liberties.”
The report says the National AI Research Resource is a potential solution to boost American skills in artificial intelligence through resources.
The report warns of federal government decisions through algorithm information. Among the recommendations are to use artificial intelligence to reduce administrative burden and bureaucracy.
The task force wrote, “From optimizing manufacturing to developing cures for grave illnesses, AI can greatly boost productivity, enabling us to achieve our objectives more quickly and cost-effectively. Nevertheless, we also recognize that AI can be misused and lead to various types of harm.”
The task force was convened by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., in February. The co-chairmen were Reps. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., and Ted Lieu, D-Calif.
