Members Advocate for AI Regulations During Visit to U.S. Congress

More than 100 IEEE members participated within the annual IEEE-USA Congressional Visits Day (CVD), held this yr on 4 and 5 April in Washington, D.C. The 2023 occasion had extra IEEE members concerned than in every other yr. CVD brings collectively engineers, researchers, know-how executives, and others to lift visibility of and help for engineering and know-how amongst members of the U.S. Congress.

For the primary time within the occasion’s practically 30-year historical past, IEEE representatives from the IEEE Hawai’i Section attended. The delegation included 5 college students from the University of Hawai’i at MānoaRichardson School of Law. Samantha Barth, Chloe Berridge, Skye A’olani Jansen, Tatyanna Serraro, and Irene Sun are taking courses in artificial intelligence and social justice taught by IEEE Member Emile Loza de Siles, who accompanied the scholars. Loza de Siles, an assistant professor of legislation on the college, teaches methods engineering and different technology-informed approaches to AI governance in the private and non-private sectors. She is a member of the IEEE-USA AI Policy Committee (AIPC).

“With artificial intelligence a hot topic in the news and AI technologies rapidly proliferating,” Loza de Siles says, “there is an urgent need for legal experts and technology professionals to come together and work to inform the development of sound AI law and policy.”

Advocating for AI laws

On 5 April, Loza de Siles and the scholars participated in 20 congressional conferences with legislative counsels and different skilled workers working for all 4 members of Hawai’i’s congressional delegation. They additionally met with senators and representatives from California, New York, Pennsylvania, and Utah.

The IEEE-USA group advocated for the proposed Algorithmic Accountability Act, which covers knowledge privateness and safety laws, and AI regulation designed to guard customers and foster the event of reliable markets and innovation.

“Interdisciplinary approaches to technology law and policy are critically important to the future of this nation and the world,” Loza de Siles says. “Collaborations with our IEEE colleagues, including through CVD and other initiatives, are precisely the type of informed and powerful engagement needed in today’s intensive law and technology policy domain.

“The impact of my students’ CVD participation,” she provides, “was truly transformative. They now see themselves confidently, capably, and more importantly in future policy roles. At least one has announced her plans to run for elected office. We need technology-informed leaders in public service.”

The Hawai’i delegation’s journey was funded by the Richardson Dean’s Innovation Fund.

“Its support for this prestigious national first experience has opened up a clear path for our students’ impactful contributions as they move forward into public and private practice,” Loza de Siles says.

AI coverage committee in motion

The AIPC, composed of IEEE members with experience within the know-how, produces the place statements that IEEE-USA workers use to information legislative advocacy. The committee supplies enter on federal company rulemaking and congressional legislative proposals. It can also be concerned with advocacy efforts, working with the U.S. administration and federal company officers. IEEE-USA’s purpose is to make sure that public policymakers have the data and experience required to implement knowledgeable legal guidelines and laws geared toward controlling the influence of AI on society.

As the 118th U.S. Congress addresses AI governance through laws, IEEE’s members are on the desk, Loza de Siles says. They meet with members of Congress to current skilled technical recommendation. The committee not too long ago met with the workers of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York. In June, the senator launched the SAFE Innovation Framework, the idea for future laws designed to require AI methods to be clear, explainable, and auditable. The framework additionally is anticipated to handle mental property in addition to copyright and legal responsibility considerations.

That is only one instance of the various actions which are being undertaken on members’ behalf, Loza de Siles says.

“As the development of AI technologies accelerates,” she says, “so do the levels of fear, wonder, and the need to control the impacts of the fast-moving technologies.”

Our ideas are with these from the IEEE Hawai’i Section who may need been affected by the devastating Maui wildfires. If you wish to donate to assist these impacted by the fires, listed below are some methods to take action:

The American Red Cross, the Hawai’i Community Foundation, Maui United Way and the Maui Food Bank.