Artificial Intelligence Safety and Biometric Technology Bills on the Agenda in the US Congress

New legislative regulations introduced by members of the US House and Senate cover critical issues such as artificial intelligence safety, a federal-level ban on biometric technologies, the auditing of AI cameras, and the responsibilities of artificial intelligence companies.

Competitions for Artificial Intelligence Research

A bipartisan bill introduced in the US House of Representatives calls for federally funded research competitions aimed at improving AI safety and the understanding of technologies.

The initiative, named the Trustworthy AI Research Act, aims to establish two national competitions managed by the Department of Homeland Security and allocate a $10 million prize budget to be distributed over the next five years.

Biometric Ban in Federal Agencies

Democratic lawmakers and senators re-introduced a bill in parliament that would ban the federal government from using biometric technologies.

The bill was prepared in response to the use of mobile facial recognition applications by immigration and customs units and aims to prevent federal agencies from using funds for facial recognition technology and biometric surveillance systems.

Data Protection for AI-Powered Cameras

Senator Josh Hawley announced that he will introduce the Stop Flock Abuse Act, which places limitations on the use of AI-powered cameras.

The proposal aims to prohibit local governments from sharing or selling collected data with civilian third parties, ensure data security, and protect audit logs.

Responsibility of AI Companies in Hacker Incidents

Senators Josh Hawley and Chris Murphy announced a new proposal requiring model developers to assume legal and criminal liability when advanced artificial intelligence models breach other systems.

This proposal aims to clarify the boundaries of liability for artificial intelligence operators and developers in security breaches.

Restrictions on Chatbots Communicating with Minors

Another bipartisan bill introduced in the House of Representatives aims to prohibit AI chatbots from communicating with minors in a human-like manner by default.

The regulation was prepared to mitigate the risks that children and teenagers may face in AI-based interactions.