Illustration: Gabriella Turrisi/Axios
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's first AI insight forum is Wednesday, and drama is brewing over the format and attendees he's bringing to the Hill.
Why it matters: The high-profile forum will have some of the world's biggest names in tech talking AI regulation with senators, setting the tone for how government and industry will work together on AI rules.
- The event aims to push momentum forward in a bipartisan way on legislating a powerful and fast-moving technology.
- But any substantive work will happen at the committee level among key lawmakers' staff.
Catch up fast: After holding three AI roundtables in the summer, Schumer announced a series of AI "insight forums" would occur throughout the fall to lay the foundation for legislation.
- Wednesday's forum will feature the CEOs of the country's most powerful tech companies, including X's Elon Musk, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, Google's Sundar Pichai and OpenAI's Sam Altman, plus some union and civil society group leaders.
- Underpinning these efforts is Schumer's SAFE AI Framework, which calls for a balance of innovation and safety in AI use and development.
How it works: The event is set to last at least six hours, split between morning and afternoon sessions.
- The morning panel will include guided questioning from Schumer and the senators he chose to help him lead the forums: Sens. Todd Young, Mike Rounds and Martin Heinrich.
- Other senators won't be able to provide remarks or question the speakers.
- Not all morning attendees will go to the afternoon session, though Schumer is asking them to have a high-ranking deputy present.
- Per a copy of the schedule obtained by Axios, this and future forums "are structured as a dialogue between experts rather than a traditional committee hearing or briefing."
Some groups are taking issue with the format, which will be closed-door, and the guest list, which is tech-exec-heavy.
- The advocacy group Fight for the Future said it would have liked to see more Black, brown, disabled and queer human rights organizations invited.
- More than 70 artists who use generative AI sent a letter to Schumer last week to try to ensure their voices are included in a conversation they noted is primarily being had by companies.
- The Motion Picture Association of America and the Writers Guild of America are invited, but there are no artists using generative AI specifically included in the event, said Creative Commons, the group that organized the letter.
- Other groups have said the closed-door nature of the briefing lacks transparency.
The other side: In a floor speech Tuesday morning, Schumer said his forum is balanced and bipartisan.
- "We have a balanced and diverse group at the table: not just those from tech, but AI experts and ethicists who have spent years researching and advancing the technology. We'll also have organizations outside the industry representing labor and civil rights, the world of academia, defense and so much more.
- "All of these groups, together in one room, talking about how and why Congress must act, what questions to ask and how to build a consensus for safe innovation."
What we're watching: Altman, who is becoming a familiar face on the Hill, will be there for both sessions, a source close to the company said.
- OpenAI has been focused on the safe development of frontier AI systems.
- Chip giant Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang will highlight the importance of predictable and transparent AI regulation, and he'll tell senators that existing laws should be examined before they pass new ones, per a source close to the company.
- UnidosUS president Janet Murguía told Axios she'll be there to help make sure communities of color are included in both the legislative process and AI development.
- "Too often, our perspective is brought in after something's been developed, designed or written, and we really need to be represented in this discussion," Murguía said.
- AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler, who'll also attend, said in a statement: "The labor movement knows AI can empower workers and increase prosperity — but only if workers are centered in its creation and the rules that govern it. Workers understand how to do our jobs better than any boardroom or algorithm. Bring us in as full partners in this transformation."
What's next: Future forums will address AI innovation, intellectual property issues, workforce challenges, privacy, security and "many more" topics, Schumer said in a Sept. 5 floor speech.
