Senators are expressing doubt about Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s high-profile, bipartisan forum on governing artificial intelligence programmed for Wednesday, with one of his own Democratic leadership calling it “just plain wrong” for wealthy tech executives to speak with lawmakers in private.
The public and media are not allowed to attend the full-day summit. Additionally, senators won’t be able to directly question the panelists, which include CEOs Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk, a tech billionaire. They will instead be able to submit written questions.
These wealthy tech entrepreneurs want to lobby Congress secretly and without restrictions. That’s just plain wrong, said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts and vice head of the Democratic conference.
They want to reshape regulations so that the present crop of tech billionaires continue to rule and prosper, she said. “They shouldn’t have a venue to do that, especially one that is behind closed doors.”
Despite the fact that Sens. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., Todd Young, R-Ind., and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., are co-hosting Schumer’s first “AI Insight Forum” with him, the criticism is equally divided. As committees hold hearings and develop legislation on the issue, Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., expressed his dissatisfaction with the forum’s structure that Schumer’s group has established, saying “It’s not efficient, for sure.”
“I mean, this is all fine and good, and it’s, you know, flashy with a high profile and all that, but senators can’t ask questions, you know, there’s no opportunity to be addressed on any of this stuff,” Thune said. “It’s not efficient, for sure.”
Thune added, “I think everyone is trying to bring this issue to light, but I hope in the end, that we’ll use a regular order process.”
The fact that the meeting is restricted to the press has been called “ridiculous” by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., who recently released a bipartisan legislative framework to govern AI with Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.
Hawley argued that it was absurd that the monopolists were all present to instruct senators on how to reshape the regulatory structure in order to maximize their profits. “I mean, they ought to be responding to inquiries about their use of individuals’ private information.”
Schumer has stated that any legislation pertaining to AI will eventually go through the standard committee procedure, but that a new structure is required to meet the challenge of legislating such a broad subject.
The series of discussions, which will continue through the fall and feature a “balanced and diverse” array of experts, were defended by Schumer in a floor speech on Tuesday. Participants will also include labor and civil rights activists, academics, national security specialists, and tech executives.
Schumer stated on the floor that “all of these groups are together in one room, talking about the reasons why Congress must act, what questions to ask, as well as how to build a consensus for safe innovation.”
According to aides, Heinrich and Young will also participate in the forum debate, which will be moderated by Schumer and Rounds. Rounds said that the meeting’s closed-door policy is intended to prevent politicians from “grandstanding” in front of cameras and to make them feel “comfortable” asking questions on a subject they may not be very familiar with.
Undoubtedly, not everyone is unhappy with the forum’s closed format. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT, a pro-labor progressive like Warren, argued that “bringing people together and having an exchange of ideas is fine.” And Blumenthal said that Schumer had backed the bicameral AI framework he and Hawley had developed.
Senators are not required to attend. They don’t have to be there if they don’t think it’s a good use of their time, but we’re going to keep going, Blumenthal added. “Sen. Schumer has been quite supportive. Legislation must proceed through the committee framework, he stated when announcing this forum on the Senate floor. We aren’t taking the place of the committee structure.
Warren, who has frequently spat with Zuckerberg, was asked if she had spoken to Schumer about her worries. Warren responded, “He knows my views on it.” But she insisted that she would still go to the forum on Wednesday to hear the opening statements.