Senators have proposed a $32 billion investment plan for US technology development.

A bipartisan group of four senators led by US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is recommending that Congress spend at least $32 billion over the next three years to develop artificial intelligence (AI) and build defenses around it.

The roadmap is another effort by the US government to regulate and expand AI development. It comes six days after US lawmakers unveiled a bipartisan bill that would help President Joe Biden's administration impose export controls on advanced AI models developed in the country.

After months of meetings with industry experts and AI critics, a bipartisan working group identified the need for AI investments to help the United States compete with its rivals abroad and improve the quality of life for Americans — a technology that could help cure some cancers or chronic diseases.

While the Roadmap is not a concrete document or policy proposal, it provides an indication of the scope and scale that legislators and stakeholders plan for future AI legislation, setting the stage for future comprehensive and detailed policies.

The senators' proposal also calls for implementing “existing laws for AI,” including addressing any loopholes or unintended harmful biases, including setting up a testing phase to understand AI's potential harms.

The group also recommended new requirements for transparency when AI products are released and for studies on the potential impact of AI on jobs and the US workforce.

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The AI ​​Working Group is pioneering the rapid development of generative AI (genAI) and efforts to manage overall AI development and adoption. In February, the National Institute of Standards and Technology established the AI ​​Safety Institute Consortium, which brings together more than 200 organizations to develop safety guidelines for AI systems.

According to experts, the US lags behind many countries, including the European Union, which has taken a leading role in regulating AI. In March, the EU introduced a comprehensive law governing AI across its 27 member states, putting pressure on the US to comply.

The law created general-purpose AI safeguards, limited law enforcement's use of biometric identification systems, banned online social scoring and AI fraud or exploiting user vulnerabilities, and gave consumers the right to complain and receive “helpful clarifications” from AI providers.

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