Congress is considering a bill that could leave Virginia, and every other state, powerless to regulate artificial intelligence.
You probably know the plot of the 1984 movie The Terminator – a cyborg hitman from the future arrives in the present, sent because of a future war between humans and A-I powered machines. Virginia might be encountering its own unwanted plot twist says State Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, if Congress approves a 10-year moratorium on state regulation of artificial intelligence
"A 10-year moratorium is crazy. We're going to have the machines from the Terminator taking over our country if we wait that long to do anything about it. The states need to act, and we need to act soon and start figuring this out," Surovell says. "And I think the states are the laboratory of innovation, and we can lead the way, and then if Congress doesn't like what we do, then maybe they can step in. But some blanket moratorium is crazy."
Earlier this year, Surovell proposed an unsuccessful bill that would have required candidates to disclose their use of AI, a bill that would be impossible during a decade-long blackout of state AI regulation. So would one regulating how AI can be used in the courtroom, a bill the governor signed into law that was introduced by Delegate Cliff Hayes of Chesapeake.
"There are some AI tools that are used to fight AI. So, such a blanket approach, you actually could be hurting positive uses for the use of AI," explains Hayes.
The 10-year moratorium of state AI regulation is being considered by Congress as part of the budget reconciliation package.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
