"Is The United States Ready for Artificial Intelligence? (Hard Nope)"

Daily Action
Written By Barbara Isaacman

QUICK READ:   We stand at the forefront of a technological sea change that will impact work and life significantly. Artificial Intelligence is here but our legislators are not yet having an adequate “informed civil discourse with its innovators that could help us to make wise policy decisions on its regulation.”


CONTENTS:

BACKGROUND

In 2018, the Senate’s questioning of Facebook co-founder, Mark Zuckerberg, was “widely mocked” for demonstrating our legislators’ ignorance about the internet and Facebook’s ad-driven business model.

“If dozens of senators hauled in the CEO of Ford, then asked him how their car goes so fast even though it doesn’t have 12 little horseys inside, they would still understand the automaking business better than they understood Facebook’s today,” wrote Atlantic tech writer, Robinson Meyer.

We stand again at the forefront of another technological sea change that will impact work and life significantly.  Among AI’s dangers are:

  • Mass job displacement and loss across entire industries;

  • Widespread bias and discrimination, since AI algorithms self-train from biased data, allowing amplification and even invention of false information;

  • Privacy concerns and security risks stemming from how AI systems gather and store mass data; New more powerful “bot”-like interference in our elections, given AI’s capacity to create convincing “deepfake” images and videos. 

Artificial Intelligence has arrived, but our legislators are not yet having the “informed civil discourse with its innovators” that will help them regulate AI wisely. 

Congress must hold open hearings and pass legislation anticipating these changes on the horizon before it is too late.

ACTION One: Call the Senate.

Script for Oregon Senators

SEN. MERKLEY: Portland office: 503-326-3386 | D.C. office: 202-224-3753

My name is [--] and I'm a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

Artificial Intelligence has arrived, but it’s caught our legislators by surprise. Congress needs to hold open hearings, write, and pass new legislation regulating its use to protect our jobs, our elections, and more before an avalanche of inevitable problems cause us and our democracy undue harm.

*SEN. WYDEN:* Portland office: 503-326-7525 | D.C. office: 202-224-5244

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

Artificial Intelligence has arrived, but it’s caught our legislators by surprise. Congress needs to hold open hearings, write, and pass new legislation regulating its use to protect our jobs, our elections, and more before an avalanche of inevitable problems cause us and our democracy undue harm.

Script for Republican Senators

D.C switchboard: 202-224-3121

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], [state], [zip code].

Artificial Intelligence has arrived, but it’s caught our legislators by surprise. Congress needs to hold open hearings, write, and pass new legislation regulating its use to protect our jobs, our elections, and more before an avalanche of inevitable problems cause us and our democracy undue harm.

ACTION TWO: Call the House.

Script for Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)

Oregon office: 503-469-6010 | DC office: 202-225-0855

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

Artificial Intelligence has arrived, but it’s caught our legislators by surprise. Congress needs to hold open hearings, write, and pass new legislation regulating its use to protect our jobs, our elections, and more before an avalanche of inevitable problems cause us and our democracy undue harm.

Script for Cliff Bentz (OR-02)

Medford office: 541-776-4646 | DC office: 202-225-6730

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

Artificial Intelligence has arrived, but it’s caught our legislators by surprise. Congress needs to hold open hearings, write, and pass new legislation regulating its use to protect our jobs, our elections, and more before an avalanche of inevitable problems cause us and our democracy undue harm.

Script for Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)

Oregon office: 503-231-2300 | DC office: 202-225-4811

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

Artificial Intelligence has arrived, but it’s caught our legislators by surprise. Congress needs to hold open hearings, write, and pass new legislation regulating its use to protect our jobs, our elections, and more before an avalanche of inevitable problems cause us and our democracy undue harm.

Script for Val Hoyle (OR-04)

Eugene office: 541-465-6732 | DC office: 202-225-6416

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

Artificial Intelligence has arrived, but it’s caught our legislators by surprise. Congress needs to hold open hearings, write, and pass new legislation regulating its use to protect our jobs, our elections, and more before an avalanche of inevitable problems cause us and our democracy undue harm.

Script for Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05)

Salem office: 503-588-9100 | DC office: 202-225-5711

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

Artificial Intelligence has arrived, but it’s caught our legislators by surprise. Congress needs to hold open hearings, write, and pass new legislation regulating its use to protect our jobs, our elections, and more before an avalanche of inevitable problems cause us and our democracy undue harm.

Script for Andrea Salinas (OR-06)

Salem office: 503-385-0906 | DC office: 202-225-5643

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

Artificial Intelligence has arrived, but it’s caught our legislators by surprise. Congress needs to hold open hearings, write, and pass new legislation regulating its use to protect our jobs, our elections, and more before an avalanche of inevitable problems cause us and our democracy undue harm.

FURTHER READING

Barbara Isaacman
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