[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 103 (Tuesday, June 13, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S2056]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                        Artificial Intelligence

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, AI, artificial intelligence, is unlike 
any innovation that has previously come to the attention of Congress. 
In a few years, this technology will usher in dramatic changes to the 
workplace, the classroom, our living rooms--to virtually every corner 
of life--and it is already starting to happen. Maximizing AI's benefits 
and mitigating its potential and very real risks will require 
bipartisan cooperation, focus, and speed from the U.S. Congress.
  Today, the U.S. Senate is taking an important step in intensifying 
our focus on AI by holding the first all-Senators briefing solely 
dedicated to AI. More briefings will soon follow, and they will help 
lay a bipartisan foundation on which Congress can take appropriate 
action. These briefings are vital because elected representatives in 
2023 cannot afford to be in the dark about how AI works and how it is 
going to reshape our world and is already reshaping our world for that 
matter.
  Today's briefing will focus on the state of AI as it stands today--
its capabilities, its applications, its limitations, its challenges. We 
will hear from Professor Antonio Torralba of MIT, an expert in machine 
learning and the head MIT faculty member on AI and decision making. He 
is the head of AI at MIT. So it is pretty good stuff that people should 
know.
  Next month, our second and third briefings will focus on where AI is 
headed in the very near future and AI's implications to our national 
security.
  I urge every single Senator to join these briefings. AI is a topic 
none of us can afford to ignore. It should be treated with the same 
urgency as national security, job creation, and civil liberties, 
because AI will impact all of these issues and many others.
  The possibilities of AI should excite every single one of us. If used 
correctly, AI could unlock remarkable breakthroughs in health care, 
scientific research, national security, and so many other fields.
  Much like we did in CHIPS and Science, Congress should look for ways 
to promote innovation in AI so that American companies can lead the 
way. But the top AI developers have also made clear that Congress must 
play a role in safeguarding against AI's many potential risks. They 
have said it to us directly through congressional testimony.
  We must therefore strike a balance to promote innovation and growth, 
on one hand, while mitigating AI's risks on the other. That will take a 
lot of bipartisan cooperation, and these briefings will help us move 
closer to that goal.
  Finally, I want to thank my colleagues for the good work they have 
already done on the issue. I want to especially thank Senators Rounds, 
Heinrich, and Young for helping to make all of these Senate briefings 
possible.