
Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Ed Markey are pushing federal agencies to establish civil rights offices to mitigate AI bias, per a letter shared first with Axios.
Why it matters: The federal government is increasingly using AI, which can discriminate against marginalized communities without safeguards in place.
Driving the news: In a Sept. 16 letter to OMB Director Shalanda Young, Schumer and Markey said agencies that use AI for consequential decisions should have a civil rights office to prevent algorithmic discrimination.
- These new offices should be staffed with technologists responsible for mitigating bias and facilitating outreach to civil rights stakeholders and affected populations, the senators write.
What they're saying: "Over the past decade, biased algorithms have increasingly been used to make or influence decisions, imposing real harm on Black, Brown, immigrant, and other marginalized communities," they state in the letter.
Context: Markey last year introduced the Eliminating BIAS Act to mandate civil rights offices in any agency that handles AI.
Our thought bubble: Schumer's bipartisan AI roadmap fell short for civil rights organizations that wanted stronger language on algorithmic bias and discrimination.
- Pushing the Biden administration to create civil rights offices could be a feasible interim step while Schumer deals with more challenging partisan differences over how to regulate AI on Capitol Hill.
