Key Points
Rising concern in Congress over the risks posed by powerful artificial- intelligence tools in the hands of consumers is giving momentum to a long-simmering idea: Creating a federal agency to regulate technology platforms including AI systems..
The agency could be charged with granting licenses for AI platforms, setting operating standards and enforcing compliance with the rules, according to proponents including Sam Altman, chief executive of ChatGPT creator OpenAI..
It is one of many ideas being kicked around in Washington as lawmakers contend with a new technology with humanlike abilities to complete an array of tasks, including holding conversations and creating videosbut which also could be used to commit sophisticated crimes and spread false information..
Anybody who proposes a government review commission that would have to approve things is talking about a regulatory body with an awful lot of rules that we dont know how to write right now," Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google who chaired a congressional AI commission, said in a recent interview..
The idea of a technology regulator dates back years, stemming from lawmakers feeling that major internet platforms have become central to Americans daily lives without the kind of oversight that applies to other critical industries such as finance, telecommunications or medicine..
