U.S. Senate Leader Schedules Classified AI Briefings

WASHINGTON, June 6 (Reuters) – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday he has scheduled three briefings for senators on artificial intelligence, including the first classified briefing on the topic.

In a letter to colleagues on Tuesday, the Democratic leader said senators need to deepen their understanding of artificial intelligence.

“AI is already changing our world, and experts have repeatedly told us that it will have a profound impact on everything from our national security to our classrooms to our workforce, including potentially significant job displacement,” Schumer said.

The first briefing is a general overview on AI, the second will examine how to achieve American leadership on AI and the third briefing, which will be classified, will concern defense and intelligence issues and implications, the letter said.

Dates and times of the hearing will be announced later, he said.

Schumer launched an effort in April to establish rules on artificial intelligence to address national security and education concerns, as use of programs like ChatGPT becomes widespread.

ChatGPT, an AI program that recently grabbed the public’s attention for its ability to write answers quickly to a wide range of queries, has attracted U.S. lawmakers’ attention. It has become the fastest-growing consumer application in history with more than 100 million monthly active users.

Schumer’s plan will need the approval of Congress and the White House and could still take months or more. However, is the most concrete step yet that the U.S. government may adopt new regulations to address rising concerns about generative AI.

Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama

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