Julia Stoyanovich spoke at the US Senate AI Insight Forum on High Impact AI. Her main message was that most AI systems are high-impact. AI systems can be great. But then can also make mistakes, amplify inequities or make arbitrary predictions. And, whether AI is beneficial, harmful or inconsequential, its use has substantial environmental impacts!

She maintains that US Congress can and should play a central role in ensuring that we realize the benefits of AI while controlling the risks – to individuals, organizations, society at large, and the environment. In her statement, she makes three recommendations towards this goal.

First, Congress should mandate public disclosure about the use of AI, starting with its use by the federal government. Second, she recommends that Congress should substantially increase federal investment in Responsible AI research, education and training, and that it should direct that funding to academia through NSF, NIH and other federal agencies. Finally, she recommends that Congress should mandate a comprehensive inquiry into the environmental impact of AI, and financially disincentivize unnecessary or unproductive use of AI to limit these impacts.

For additional information, read Julia’s full statement, see Senator Schumer’s press relase, and take a look at the US Sentate AI ‘Insight Forum’ Tracker by Tech Policy Press.