Cruz and Cantwell in March 2023. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell tried to inject new energy into the conversation around AI and privacy at a hearing Thursday, but the way forward for marking up pertinent bills remains fuzzy.
The big picture: With few legislative days left before the August congressional recess and many distractions on Capitol Hill, tech policy progress is hard to come by.
- Cantwell told reporters after the hearing she wants to mark up both the American Privacy Rights Act and some AI bills at the end of July, after next week's recess.
- She said she's happy to address issues that people have with the privacy bill and will be doing so in the next two weeks before a markup.
- Cantwell declined to name the specific AI bills that might feature at the not-yet-scheduled markup.
Some lawmakers are pushing for movement on AI and privacy, but disagreements among parties and chambers continue to make that difficult.
- Thursday's Senate Commerce Committee hearing — which featured slim attendance, an all-over-the-place agenda and senators slipping in and out, some weighing in from their offices via videochat — seemed to be an attempt to reset the conversation.
What they're saying: Cantwell wanted to emphasize the importance of a national privacy bill in the world of AI, noting that the risks to people's privacy are higher than ever.
- Cantwell said she believed her APRA counterpart in the House, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, had "a lot of support" but that "one person" was concerned about the bill. Cantwell said she hopes that person will reconsider.
- She didn't name House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, but Axios previously reported that he was responsible for AI-specific civil rights–related language being stripped from the House version of the bill, which concerns Cantwell and others.
Friction point: Sen. J.D. Vance, a leading contender to be former President Trump's running mate in the 2024 election, said he's skeptical of AI regulation and that it would entrench Big Tech incumbents.
- Ranking Member Ted Cruz said the privacy bill as it stands is an aggressive regulation of the internet.
- Other members said they were worried about preemption and compliance costs for small businesses.
There may not be an official AI bill markup scheduled (and many have been canceled in the recent past), but new bills keep coming.
- Sens. Cantwell, Marsha Blackburn and Martin Heinrich introduced the COPIED Act today.
- The legislation would set "new federal transparency guidelines for marking, authenticating and detecting AI-generated content, protect journalists, actors and artists against AI-driven theft, and hold violators accountable for abuses."
