3 hours agoGOP senator says AI companies should lead on safeguards; Democrat sees a government role
Sens. Dave McCormick, R-Penn., and Peter Welch, D-Vt., agreed Sunday that the artificial intelligence industry needs safeguards as the technology rapidly advances, but differed over how large a role the federal government should play in overseeing it.
McCormick argued on “Fox News Sunday” that AI companies should take the lead in monitoring their models and bear liability for the risks they create, while Welch said industry standards should be accompanied by a public role in protecting safety.
“We are in the midst of something that is probably the most profound change that will happen in our lifetimes. It may be in human history,” McCormick said on “Fox News Sunday.”
McCormick pointed to potential benefits ranging from productivity gains to advances in treating rare diseases, while warning of possible disruption to jobs, wealth concentration and national security.
The Pennsylvania Republican said the U.S. also needs to maintain its technological edge over China while guarding against potential dangers from increasingly capable AI systems.
“We need to make sure that we continue to be in the lead in innovation, but ensure that we guard against some of those biggest challenges,” McCormick said.
McCormick argued against placing primary responsibility for overseeing AI models in the hands of the federal government, saying industry has greater technical capabilities to monitor the technology and should take the lead.
He also called for companies to remain legally responsible for the technology they develop and said Congress should consider further legislation addressing liability.
“You can’t stand up in front of the public and the shareholders and say, on one hand, well, we’re gonna raise hundreds of billions of dollars and we’re going to move forward on our business, and at the same time, say it poses a risk of destroying humanity,” McCormick said. “The responsibility is with the companies. And that liability is with the company.”
Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., appearing separately on “Fox News Sunday,” agreed that the industry should establish standards but argued that government also has a responsibility to protect the public.
“I think David is right that there’s got to be an industry-wide effort to have standards,” Welch said. “But where I disagree a bit is I think there has to be a public role.”
Welch cited recent incidents involving AI models as evidence of potential cybersecurity risks, raising concerns about whether increasingly capable systems could interfere with infrastructure or gain unauthorized access to financial accounts.
“Should banks regulate themselves? Should security companies regulate themselves?” Welch said. “There’s a public interest here in safety.”