Tech leaders including Musk, Zuckerberg call for government action on AI

Powerful tech leaders—including Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg—expressed unanimous agreement that the government needs to intervene to avert the potential pitfalls of artificial intelligence (AI). However, there was little apparent consensus about what a congressional framework should look like to govern AI, as companies forge ahead amid a tense industry arms race. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) said Congress’s “difficult job” ahead will be finding ways to enhance the benefits of the technology while minimizing its risks. But Sen. Schumer's remarks made it clear that lawmakers are at least months away from unveiling a legislative framework to address AI. Ultimately, lawmakers, industry and civil rights leaders and tech industry advocates say the US can’t afford a repeat of past attempts to craft tech legislation because of AI’s potential to discriminate and its critical role in national security.