| Happy Thursday! I for one am just glad we're not the only ones still struggling to tame our pup. Send news and reactivity-training tips to: cristiano.lima@washpost.com. Below: The United States urges an appeals court to lift a social media order, and groups fear tech-driven consolidation of the automobile sector. First: | China is the elephant in the room in the AI debate |  Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) is the ranking Democrat on the House select committee on China. (Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post) | | | As lawmakers ramp up discussions about artificial intelligence legislation, concerns about losing ground to China are looming large in Congress. Leaders of the House select committee on China highlighted the issue ahead of a hearing late Wednesday dedicated to "ensuring U.S. leadership" in "emerging technologies of the 21st century" — like AI. "We need to make sure that on the one hand we take targeted steps to avoid fueling [China's] potential advancement of technologies that could harm us or our values," Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (Ill.), the panel's top Democrat, told The Technology 202 on Wednesday. He added, "At the same time, we have to marshal a sense of urgency and the resources and the know-how to advance on our own in these very technologies." Tech industry leaders for years have warned that sweeping new regulations for emerging tech could put the United States at a disadvantage against China. Now as the AI debate gains steam, it's clear the argument has found a foothold on Capitol Hill. "We don't want to overregulate our advantage in the AI race out of existence," Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), who chairs the China panel, told reporters after a separate hearing on AI in warfare last week. Gallagher said lawmakers instead should pursue a "targeted" approach to the technology. | | | | | | | | Social media is putting our kids at risk. We have a right to know how Big Tech is collecting their information and feeding them addictive content. Congress must adopt responsible safeguards now. | | | |  | | | | | In one glaring example, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) urged lawmakers last month to move "slowly" and "cautiously" on AI regulation, that Congress should be "very focused on not putting barriers in place that will prevent the United States from leading the world in AI." Cruz, the top Republican on the key Senate Commerce Committee, went on to argue that it would be "profoundly dangerous to the United States from a national defense perspective but also certainly from an economic perspective" if China surpassed it on AI development. Krishnamoorthi called striking the right balance on innovation and regulation "one of the most complicated challenges that we have." But he said it shouldn't stop Congress. "At this point, we have to do something," he said in a phone interview. "The problem is that while having too much regulation could inhibit innovation and potentially cripple our ability to lead in AI or other areas, having zero regulation could lead to algorithms that are nontransparent to the world, that can be plagued by bias." Krishnamoorthi said legislative principles should focus on requiring "transparency with regard to algorithms" and creating protections for data that "people in the AI world want to scoop up." He said creating a new liability regime for when AI systems cause harm should be another priority. "There cannot be the same safe harbor that we see … where Big Tech is immune from liability for anything bad that happens as a consequence of misinformation, disinformation or other informational problems on their platforms," he said. Leaders on the House select committee on China have also been upping the pressure on American companies and individuals that invest or do business with the Chinese tech sector. Krishnamoorthi signaled that it will be a continuing focus. He said investors need to be aware "that their money is potentially being used to fund nefarious activities and so in light of that there's going to be greater scrutiny on those companies." "We cannot be in that situation where we are somehow supporting those efforts as Americans, and so I think that principle is going to be applied more broadly," he said. | | |  | Our top tabs | | Biden admin urges appeals court to lift ban on contact with social media firms |  The Justice Department has previously warned the move is overly broad and could prevent the government from warning people about online falsehoods in times of national security emergencies or natural disasters. (Michael Reynolds/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock) | | | The Biden administration Tuesday evening asked the New Orleans-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit to lift a July 4 order that sharply curtails the federal government's ability to communicate with social media companies, Brendan Pierson reports for Reuters. | | The order from U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty in Louisiana prohibits key federal agencies and officials from meeting and communicating with social media companies about "protected free speech." The Justice department previously called the move overly broad and arguing that it could prevent the government from warning people about online falsehoods in times of national security emergencies or natural disasters. "The government cannot punish people for expressing different views," lawyers representing the Biden administration wrote in the filing. "But there is a categorical, well-settled distinction between persuasion and coercion," it said, adding that the government "must be allowed to seek to persuade people of its views, even where those views are the subject of controversy." The order stems from a May 2022 lawsuit which "alleged that U.S. government officials, under both Democratic President Joe Biden and his Republican predecessor Donald Trump, effectively coerced social media companies to censor posts over concerns they would fuel vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic or upend elections," the Reuters report says. The 5th Circuit earlier this month granted a temporary stay of the order. | Senators ask Justice Dept. how it combats AI-generated child sexual abuse material |  Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) speaks during a Senate Judiciary business meeting. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post) | | | Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) penned a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland on Tuesday asking the Justice Department to provide clarity on how it's addressing AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The letter, which cites reporting from our colleague Drew Harwell, asks the Justice Department about the number of investigations it has taken to address the creation and distribution of AI-generated CSAM, as well as what legal hurdles the department faces when prosecuting people accused of involvement in creating such content. "Given the proliferation of AI-generated CSAM, the absence of charges or successful prosecutions raises concerns about the effectiveness of our current legal framework in combating this heinous crime," they write. As Drew wrote in his story, generative AI tools "have set off what one analyst called a 'predatory arms race' on pedophile forums" because the tools allow for the creation of realistic images of children performing sexual acts within just seconds. Justice Department spokesperson Emma Dulaney confirmed receipt of the letter and did not provide additional comment. | Advocates sound off on Big Tech influence in AV industry as Congress weighs legislation |  The groups list monopolistic tactics, digital gatekeeping, invasive data collection practices and tech giants' market share as concerns they believe would impair the development of safe autonomous vehicle practices. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg News) | | | A bipartisan coalition of advocacy groups is speaking out against the tech giants' involvement in the automobile industry as lawmakers consider new legislation on autonomous vehicles, according to a letter sent to a congressional panel. The missive led by the Tech Oversight Project was sent to House Energy and Commerce Committee leadership on Tuesday, the day before a subcommittee panel led by Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) discussed legislation from Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio) that seeks to craft a federal framework for approving and deploying self-driving vehicles. "Big Tech is expanding laterally, aiming to leverage their current market dominance into a new sector. This growing influence on the trillion-dollar transportation industry threatens our safety, privacy, labor rights, and economic health," it says. The groups list monopolistic tactics, digital gatekeeping, invasive data collection practices and tech giants' market share as concerns they see in the sector. "Unchecked adoption of AVs poses significant risks, including fatal safety hazards, societal disruptions, and job losses." they write, later adding: "In turn, we believe that careful, public-oriented policy making is necessary to counter Big Tech's selfish dominance and orient AV development in the public interest." The offices of Latta and Bilirakis did not return a request for comment. | | |  | Rant and rave | | | Amid its ongoing rebrand, Twitter changes its @twitter handle to @X. Telegraph technology editor James Titcomb: | | Associated Press White House reporter Seung Min Kim: | | The account with the former @X handle: | | |  | Agency scanner | | | |  | Inside the industry | | | |  | Competition watch | | | |  | Privacy monitor | | | |  | Workforce report | | | |  | Daybook | | - The Senate Commerce Committee considers bills addressing children's online safety and AM radio rules at 10 a.m.
- The House Science Committee considers a bill that authorizes research of privacy-enhancing technologies at 10 a.m.
- The Brookings Institution holds a discussion on STEM workforce development at 10 a.m.
- The Woodhull Freedom Foundation convenes a discussion on online free speech at 1 p.m.
- The House Judiciary Committee considers a report that recommends Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg be held in contempt of Congress at 2 p.m.
- The Atlantic Council holds a discussion on digital twins at 2 p.m.
| | |  | Before you log off | | | That's all for today — thank you so much for joining us! Make sure to tell others to subscribe to The Technology 202 here. Get in touch with tips, feedback or greetings on Twitter or email. | |
No comments:
Post a Comment