Senators eye AI competitiveness in bipartisan legislation

A bipartisan group of senators have introduced a bill that would create a new office that analyzes U.S. strength in emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), compared to the country’s competitors, such as China. 

Sens. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) introduced the legislation Thursday calling for the establishment of an Office of Global Competition Analysis. 

A release from from Bennet states that the office would assess technological competitiveness based on intelligence and commercial data, which it said are too often separated into intelligence and civilian agencies, respectively. 

The statement also argues that the separation has often left the U.S. unaware of its capacity in certain technologies — such as 5G and semiconductors — compared to other countries, and understanding the entire ecosystem is essential to seeing the threats and technologies from the technologies. 

“We cannot afford to lose our competitive edge in strategic technologies like semiconductors, quantum computing, and artificial intelligence to competitors like China,” Bennet said. “To defend our economic and national security and protect U.S. leadership in critical emerging technologies, we need to be able to take into account both classified and commercial information to fully assess where we stand.” 

A summary of the bill states that the office would be composed of experts from the intelligence community, the Commerce, Defense and Treasury departments and other relevant agencies. It also states that experts from the private sector and academia would be involved based on the project. 

Young said in the release that the bill will ensure the national security community is in sync in order to win the “technological race” against China. 

Warner said the U.S. has made significant investments in economic sectors such as semiconductor manufacturing in recent years, but it must be able to track its progress against its peers. 

“I’m proud to join this bipartisan effort to create a centralized hub that’s responsible for keeping tabs on these developments, which are critical to our economic and national security,” he said. 

Bennet also told NBC News in an interview that he has discussed the bill with members of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) office and believes the legislation has a “high likelihood” of passing. 

The legislation follows multiple Capitol Hill hearings on AI in recent weeks as lawmakers have been increasingly turning their attention to the emerging technology, calling for action to manage its risks and ensure it is benefiting society. 

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) announced last week that he plans to introduce a bill to require disclaimers on all content produced by AI.