AI Bills Advancing and Threats to AI Funding in the U.S. and U.K.
Weekly Policy Summaries, July 29, 2024: Key Decisions and Developments
In the US, the Senate Commerce Committee has greenlit eight AI-related bills, moving them closer to Senate floor approval. These bills focus on transparency, safety, and education in AI systems, including the VET AI Act, Future of AI Innovation Act, CREATE AI Act, and others [1].
Meanwhile, Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), alongside Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), have proposed the NO FAKES Act to safeguard individual voice and visual likeness from AI-generated uncredited replicas [2]. This bill holds accountable those who create, host, or share unauthorized AI deepfakes [3].
In a separate development, the U.S. Senate is currently contemplating a moratorium on state AI laws for a decade, with concerns voiced that this may strip state-level protections for artists against deepfakes [4]. However, this moratorium is facing resistance from Senate Republicans.
A recent NTIA report highlights the need for more evidence on the capabilities of large AI models with widely available weights before implementing policies to manage potential risks. This report calls for the U.S. government to refrain from imposing restrictions on open model weights for now [5].
On a bleaker note, the U.K.'s Labor government has defunded two significant computing and AI projects, worth approximately $1.7 billion, originally intended to boost the country's global AI research and development standing [6].
Insights:
- The NO FAKES Act aims to protect individuals from unauthorized AI-generated deepfakes by granting them property rights over AI-generated replicas of their voice or likeness [1][3].
- The moratorium on state AI laws aims to prevent states from enacting their own AI regulations while federal policies are developed, but some argue it could compromise state-level protections for artists against deepfakes [4].
- The NTIA report calls for more evidence on large AI models with widely available weights before implementing policies to manage potential risks [5].
- The U.K.'s Labor government has halted funding for two major computing and AI projects, potentially affecting the country's AI research progress [6].
- Despite the progress in AI-related bills in the US Senate, there is ongoing debate about a proposed moratorium on state AI laws, which could strip state-level protections for artists against deepfakes.
- The NO FAKES Act, proposed by Senators Chris Coons, Marsha Blackburn, Amy Klobuchar, and Thom Tillis, aims to safeguard individuals from unauthorized AI-generated deepfakes by granting them property rights over AI-generated replicas of their voice or likeness.
- In the UK, the Labor government has defunded two significant computing and AI projects, raising concerns about the country's global AI research and development standing.
- The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) report has called for more evidence on the capabilities of large AI models with widely available weights before implementing policies to manage potential risks, suggesting a cautious approach to regulating AI.
