[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 100 (Thursday, June 13, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S4062]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                        Artificial Intelligence

  Now, Mr. President, on AI legislation, artificial intelligence is 
already reshaping our world as we know it. Every industry--healthcare, 
finance, manufacturing, and others--will in some way be impacted by AI 
and must be prepared when that moment comes. That includes the Federal 
Government.
  As more Federal Agencies begin to incorporate AI into their 
operations, it is critical that they have a clear and established set 
of guidelines to manage this technology safely and effectively. So I 
was pleased that yesterday Chair Peters and Senator Tillis introduced a 
bipartisan bill to make sure the Federal Government is proactive in 
harnessing AI's potential while managing its very real risks.
  This legislation will establish some of the first guidelines for the 
responsible procurement of AI by the Federal Government. The guidelines 
in this bill will be essential for the Federal Government to deploy AI 
so it protects people's civil rights, prevents bias, and ensures 
people's privacy.
  These protections are critical not just for the application of AI in 
the Federal Government, they are important for the application of AI in 
every industry.
  I commend Chair Peters and Senator Tillis for introducing this 
legislation. It is a great example of both sides working together to 
legislate effectively on AI.
  As we have said, we first had our AI forums. We then put out our 
roadmap. Now our committees are beginning to work on specific 
legislation. I am very, very proud that we are moving forward in this 
regard.
  We had another opportunity to work together to pass AI legislation 
last night when Senator Durbin tried to pass his DEFIANCE Act, which 
cracks down on nonconsensual AI pornography and holds those responsible 
for the sharing of graphic images and videos.
  Sadly, despite the bill having bipartisan support, one Member--only 
one Member--from the other side of the aisle stood in the way and 
blocked its passage. I hope this is not the norm moving forward. I hope 
both sides can continue working together--like Chair Peters and Senator 
Tillis did--to harness the potential of AI while protecting against its 
risks.