Members of the newly formed Artificial Intelligence Caucus met at the State Capitol Thursday to announce the group's goals during the legislative session. The caucus said it will advocate for policies that ensure ethical standards in developing AI initiatives.
The group also wants to promote collaborations and opportunities for AI training for the workforce. They are working to create policies that ensure transparency and accountability in AI development and use.
Senator James Maroney said it will be up to the states to build guardrails to protect its residents. Because there are no nationwide regulations, Maroney said it is up to the state legislature to set the standard in their state. He said there has been growth and more states have introduced AI bills this year than in all of last year.
“AI can transform the way we work and live. In order to unleash its true transformative power, we need to ensure there are reasonable guardrails to mitigate potential risks and provide training opportunities to all Connecticut residents,” Maroney said.
The caucus said it will begin by supporting Senate Bill 2, An Act Concerning Artificial Intelligence. The bill would set up a framework to regulate its use in the state. It outlines a focus on transparency and accountability. The bill also addresses the criminalization of non-consensual intimate images and the creation of workforce training to use artificial intelligence in Connecticut.
Representative Hubert Delany said the AI Caucus's goal is not to stifle innovation but to protect the public interest. He said the caucus wants to help guide the responsible development of AI technology.
“Our general thought process and the guiding light for our caucus is to make artificial intelligence as easy as possible for innovation and as difficult as possible for discrimination as we can,” Delany said.
