House lawmakers are urging federal agencies to quickly and aggressively adopt artificial intelligence technology, at a time when the push from civil rights and industry groups for new AI regulations is still waiting to get off the ground.
The House Appropriations Committee, led by Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, released several spending bills this week that encourage the government to incorporate AI into everything from national security functions to routine office work to the detection of pests and diseases in crops. Several of those priorities are not just encouraged but would get millions of dollars in new funding under the legislation still being considered by the committee.
And while comprehensive AI regulations are likely still months away and are unlikely to be developed this year, lawmakers seem keen on making sure the government is deploying AI where it can. The bills are backed by the GOP majority, and Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., the vice chair of the Congressional Artificial Intelligence Caucus, said agencies shouldn’t have to wait to start using AI.
“We should support federal agencies harnessing the power and benefits of AI, as it has proven itself to be a powerful tool and will continue to be an invaluable asset for our federal agencies,” he told Fox News Digital. “The Departments of Energy and Defense, for example, have been leveraging AI for technical projects to enhance precision and accomplish tasks beyond human capabilities.”
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Chairwoman Kay Granger, R-Texas, center, has been working to move bills that would encourage the government to deploy AI systems to help them do their jobs better. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Beyer added that he is “encouraged” by commitments some agencies have made to ensure AI is used ethically, such as those made by the Department of Defense and intelligence agencies.
In the spending bill for the Department of Homeland Security, language is included that would fund AI and machine learning capabilities to help review cargo shipments at U.S. ports and for port inspections.
“As the Committee has previously noted, delays in the integration of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and autonomy into the program require CBP Officers to manually review thousands of images to hunt for anomalies,” according to report language on the bill. “Automation decreases the chance that narcotics and other contraband will be missed and increases the interdiction of narcotics that move through the nation’s [ports of entry].”
The bill encourages DHS to use “commercial, off-the-shelf artificial intelligence capabilities” to improve government efforts to catch travelers and cargo that should not be allowed to enter the United States. It also calls on DHS to explore using AI to enforce the border, to help ensure the right illegal immigrants are removed, and at the Transportation Security Agency.
The committee’s bill to fund the Defense Department warns that the Pentagon is not moving fast enough to adopt AI technologies.
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Representative Don Beyer, a Democrat from Virginia, told Fox News Digital that federal agencies need access to AI technology, and said he was encouraged by some of the ethics principles that some agencies have been developping. Photographer: Oliver Contreras/Sipa/Bloomberg via Getty Images
