Add lawmakers to the list of workers whose jobs could be threatened by artificial intelligence.
Weighing in on one of the hot topics of the year, the California Legislature last week unanimously adopted a statement expressing the state’s commitment to examining and possibly regulating AI, the headline-grabbing technology.
The twist? The seven paragraph statement is the first AI-drafted resolution in the country, state Sen. Bill Dodd’s office claimed in a statement last week.
Don’t worry wordsmiths; as a piece of writing, the resolution isn’t a literary masterpiece—and, presumably, Dodd’s office spell and fact checked it before sending it out into the world.
The measure, officially titled Senate Concurrent Resolution 17, simply states the basics in a series of “Whereas” and “be it resolved” statements: While AI may improve efficiency in certain sectors, the technology poses risks to “democracy and the rights of the public,” due to potentially biased or discriminatory algorithms and other issues.
The statement also affirms the state’s commitment to “Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights,” a document created by President Joe Biden’s staff earlier this year outlining the administration’s principles for regulating the emergent technology.
“This is [a] significant step toward ensuring California is at the forefront of responsible AI deployment and use. The principles outlined here will help protect the rights of the public while leveraging the benefits of AI. I appreciate the bipartisan support of my colleagues,” said Dodd, whose district includes Napa and other neighboring counties.
While we’re making light of it here, AI isn’t seen as a laughing matter. Although the ability of the technology to replicate human labor products at this stage is debatable, AI investors continue to build the hype, while plenty of industries seem eager to experiment.
A poll by the Los Angeles Times released on Aug. 6 found that 45% of respondents were concerned that AI would impact their industry. Case in point: Use of the technology is one of the contentious issues in the deadlocked Hollywood writer’s strike centered in Southern California.
“This is [not just] a Hollywood phenomenon. AI is literally eating the world,” an AI startup executive, who may or may not have been excited about the beast’s appetite, told the paper.
