OPENAI’S ChatGPT app is displayed on an iPhone in New York, May 18, 2023. With companies deploying artificial intelligence to every corner of society, state lawmakers are playing catchup with the first major proposals to reign in AI’s penchant for discrimination—but those bills face blistering headwinds from every direction.
The group of bipartisan lawmakers caught in the middle—including those from Alaska, Georgia and Virginia—has been working on AI legislation together in the face of federal inaction. On Thursday, they highlighted their work across states and stakeholders, emphasizing the need for AI legislation and reinforcing the importance for collaboration and compromise to avoid regulatory inconsistencies across state lines. They also argued the bills are a first step that can be built on going forward.
Still, up to 83 percent of employers use algorithms to help in hiring, according to estimates from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Under bills in Colorado and Connecticut, companies that use AI wouldn’t have to routinely submit impact assessments to the government. Instead, they would be required to disclose to the attorney general if they found discrimination—a government or independent organization wouldn’t be testing these AI systems for bias.