House lawmakers probing artificial intelligence are concerned that China will surpass the U.S. in the production of emerging tech and the rules to shape its development.
Republican and Democratic lawmakers are beginning to worry that America is at risk of giving away a technological advantage to its communist competitors in the AI arena.
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers said Wednesday that the U.S. must take a commanding lead over China in the AI realm to ensure a safe and prosperous future.
“Failing to enact a national data privacy standard, or allowing China to lead the way, heightens the risk over the collection and misuse of data, unauthorized access and transfers and greater harms for Americans and our families,” Ms. Rodgers, Washington Republican, said at a committee hearing.
Some Democrats agree that China’s work on AI should be an animating concern for American policymakers scrutinizing the tech.
Rep. Haley Stevens, Michigan Democrat, told her House Science Committee colleagues on Wednesday that China was gaining ground on the U.S. in the ongoing race to be the world’s technological superpower.
Ms. Stevens said at a committee hearing that America needs to take charge of AI governance.
“We want to have the risk framework, we want to have the mitigation, we want to have ownership of the technology here,” she said.
Not everyone is worried about China holding sway over the production and development of emerging technologies.
Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk has said China is ready to help write international rules for AI.
Mr. Musk told House lawmakers in July he was “kind of pro-China” and believed there was a lot of positive energy in the communist country.
“My understanding from the conversations that I had in China was that China is definitely interested in working in a cooperative international framework regarding AI regulation,” Mr. Musk said on Twitter Spaces to lawmakers from the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.
As Congress studies legislative proposals, President Biden’s team is moving toward enacting a new executive order and proposing rules for AI.
Federal Chief Information Security Officer Chris DeRusha said Tuesday that the executive order was forthcoming this fall and represented a first step toward “putting together the rules and safeguards, research and development, the talent plan” for AI.
Many lawmakers are not comfortable ceding total authority over AI to Mr. Biden’s team nor rushing to regulation.
Rep. Jay Obernolte, California Republican, told the House Science Committee on Wednesday that “Congress should certainly not rush to overregulate but we should also not be complacent.”
“The U.S. must avoid falling behind other major world powers who are finalizing their AI standards and regulations,” Mr. Obernolte said. “Without proactive American leadership, supremacy in AI could be seized by the EU or China, both of whom are taking far more draconian approaches to AI regulation.”
• Ryan Lovelace can be reached at rlovelace@washingtontimes.com.
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