The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced that a hearing will be held this Thursday, focusing on privacy issues related to the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). The hearing will discuss how AI "has accelerated the need for comprehensive federal privacy legislation," as stated in the committee's announcement.
Image Source Note: The image was generated by AI, and the image is provided by the licensing service Midjourney
The scheduling of this hearing comes amidst increasing pressure on Congress to establish AI regulations and comprehensive federal privacy laws. Currently, the United States lacks comprehensive federal privacy legislation, while states and other countries are introducing new standards to regulate technology giants based primarily in the U.S.
The American Privacy Rights Act (APRA) is a bipartisan data privacy bill led by Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and House Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.). The bill was scheduled for revision in the House of Representatives last month but was canceled at the last minute due to opposition by House Republican leaders. The opposition in the House threatened the bill's passage in this session, but it may reappear during the Senate hearing.
The bill is designed to give people more control over their data, including requirements such as allowing users to opt-out of targeted advertising and data transfers. It will also establish a private right of action, allowing consumers to seek monetary compensation through the courts and replace state laws.
The Senate hearing will invite testimony from Washington University Law School Professor and Co-Director of the Technology Policy Lab Ryan Calo, Co-Executive Director of the AI Now Institute Amba Kak, and Mozilla Global Product Policy Director Udbhav Tiwari. The committee will also announce more witness lists.
The Congress has also been considering AI regulatory issues but has not passed any laws to keep up with the development of this technology. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) released an AI regulatory roadmap in May, but the document is relatively vague in calling for specific regulatory requirements.
Key Points:
🔹 The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee will hold a hearing on AI privacy issues.
🔹 The hearing will discuss the need for comprehensive federal privacy legislation accelerated by AI.
🔹 The United States lacks comprehensive federal privacy legislation, while states and other countries are introducing new regulatory standards.