Senator: D.C.'s AI forums stay non-partisan, for now

• The forums are kept private in order to get franker testimony from participants.

Between the lines: Young took an early interest in AI and has worked across the aisle to push tech legislation before, including the CHIPS-plus bill in 2022.

What they're saying: Young says he expected there'd be more disagreement over the role the government should play in AI innovation during the Insight Forums.

• "I've been encouraged and frankly a little surprised.... There haven't been very significant disagreements," he said.
• "We invited techno-libertarians. We invited leaders of organized labor. Yes, there are disagreements, but they agree on the essentials," Young said.

Context: Young says he regularly uses generative AI and encourages his staff to do the same. "But as with any tool, they're responsible for the end product," Young says.

• Young is not an AI doomer, but neither would he call himself a "techno-optimist."

• "I'd say I have tempered optimism," Young said. "[My] optimism is tempered by the significant risks of the democratization of this technology.... There aren't that many doomsday scenarios, but there are enough to focus the mind."

What's next: Young acknowledges that the AI Insight Forums might not sustain bipartisan collaboration.

• "The issue of labor could be one [issue] where we see some disagreements, but I haven't seen those fault lines yet," he said.

Go deeper: Bipartisan Senate group looks to tackle AI legislation.