Do parliamentarians understand AI technologies?

Parliamentarians are facing challenges in understanding AI technologies as they become more prominent in regulations and policies. While the European Union has proposed laws to regulate AI, there is a general lack of comprehension among lawmakers globally, with some taking initiative to learn more about the subject. Silicon Valley companies are racing ahead in AI development, prompting concerns over the need for effective regulation to prevent potential harms.
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AI is getting in the focus of politics and regulations worldwide. However, both parliamentarians and policymakers have a very little understanding of AI technology they should regulate.


Few lawmakers are taking action as an AI boom grips Silicon Valley and companies work to slow down regulation in a race for tech leadership.


To protect against potential harms, the European Union (EU) proposed a law to regulate dangerous AI, with fines of up to 6% of global revenue for violations.


The US government has been deeply involved in AI research and development since the 1960s. Still, criticism of it increased recently with warnings about its dangers from Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk in 2015 and later from a Senate Subcommittee on Space, Science and Competitiveness hearing in 2016.
Recently, 150 lawmakers attended a meeting hosted by the AI Caucus to learn more about it, while DARPA announced $2 billion earmarked for projects related to AI.

Main source: As A.I. Booms, Lawmakers Struggle to Understand the Technology | New York Times