Sen. Grassley. (file photo)
U.S. Senate leaders are calling for three briefings on artificial intelligence this summer — including one briefing that’s classified — and Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he’s told his scheduler to put him down for all three briefings.
Grassley says he’s “concerned” about AI and all of the applications it may have, including its uses in the military and how America’s adversaries may be using it. “I read about it and it’s really mind-boggling to me,” Grassley says. “I hear that it can be very dangerous and that’s something to take into consideration.” Grassley, a Republican, says he wants to educate himself further on the topic of AI, learning about its benefits and risks.
AI is working its way into all sorts of industries, from communications to education to manufacturing, and some critics fear it will end up eliminating a significant number of jobs. “It’s kind of hard for me to buy into that argument,” Grassley says, “because I find a lot of changes in manufacturing and new equipment, new appliances, that I think the advancement of technology actually enhances job creation.” Grassley says he can fall back on the old story about buggy whip manufacturers bemoaning the development of automobiles, and he notes that revolutions in technology often bring accompanying advances in our quality of life.
“You always heard about robots going into factories and losing jobs,” Grassley says, “but you find out that, yeah, a job is lost at a factory if they have a robot, but there’s a lot of jobs created in making the robot and doing research and all that area.” In a letter calling for the briefings, Senate leaders say they need to “deepen our expertise in this pressing topic,” adding that “AI is already changing our world, and…will have a profound impact on everything from our national security to our classrooms to our workforce, including potentially significant job displacement.”