Five Leading Consumer, Workers’ Rights and Tech Groups Call for Comprehensive Guardrails in Senate AI Bill Package
Washington, D.C. — Today, Public Citizen, the Center for American Progress, AFL-CIO’s Tech Institute, Public Knowledge, and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights sent a letter to Senator Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Rounds (R-SD) expressing support for comprehensive guardrails and critical protections to be included in the legislative package they are expected to introduce in the coming days.
“Left unchecked, rapidly developing AI technology poses an existential threat to consumers, workers, and our democracy,” said Lisa Gilbert, executive vice president of Public Citizen. “Senator Schumer, Senator Rounds, and their colleagues have an opportunity — and a responsibility — with this legislative package to ensure that enforceable guardrails and comprehensive worker and civil rights protections are a core element of any federal AI policy moving forward.”
The groups urged the Senators to consider the risks posed by AI as a top priority of any federal legislation on the issue, specifically recommending the legislative package includes:
- Guardrails for ethical AI development and deployment that include clear and enforceable guidelines.
- Robust protections for workers and unions including comprehensive workforce development programs (including training and education), place-based strategies creating good union jobs, and the right to bargain collectively.
- Civil rights protections that prevent discriminatory practices in AI applications, mitigating against inherently biased algorithms that disproportionately impact marginalized communities.
- Mitigation of election misinformation that addresses the challenges posed by AI in the context of elections, including implementing transparency measures to secure our election system and combating disinformation campaigns caused by deepfakes.
“Congress needs to stand with the American people and ensure that the AI we are subject to is fair,” said Koustubh “K.J.” Bagchi, vice president of the Center for Civil Rights and Technology at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “Congress can do that by including basic protections in its AI legislation — safeguards, worker protections, measures to address misinformation, and equitable innovation — so that technology benefits all. All are necessary if we are to trust the technology that impacts our lives.”
For more information on this letter or to speak with an expert, contact Emily Leach at eleach@citizen.org.