A bipartisan group of senators, led by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, want Congress to spend $32 billion on artificial intelligence research so the US can continue to maintain its technological lead over China. According to senators Mike Rounds, Todd Young and Martin Heinrich, the funding is key to addressing the benefits and risks tied to AI.
If China is “going to invest $50 billion, and we’re going to invest in nothing, they’ll inevitably get ahead of us. So that’s why even these investments are so important,” Schumer said Wednesday.
The legislative proposal aims to counter concerns about China’s AI advancements, which could potentially interfere with elections, create bioweapons, or initiate cyberattacks. U.S. officials highlighted these issues during recent bilateral talks with China. The proposed funding would focus on non-defense AI applications, while the allocation for defense-related AI research remains under consideration. The senators also advocated for comprehensive government AI research and development, including an “AI-ready data” initiative and AI testing infrastructure.
“This is a time in which the dollars related to this particular investment will pay dividends to the taxpayers of this country long term,” Rounds said. “China now spends probably about 10 times more than we do on AI development. They are in a hurry.”
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