On Thursday, Representatives Lori Trahan of Massachusetts and Jay Obernolte of California released a draft of a concerning new artificial intelligence bill. If passed, the bill would greatly restrict the ability of states to pass their own regulations on artificial intelligence by preempting any state level regulations on the development of artificial intelligence models for a period of three years. It would, in effect, serve to stall out regulation at the state level during a crucial window where tech companies would be able to expand their reach largely unencumbered. A number of organizations previously signed onto a letter urging Representative Trahan to reject any bill which would preempt state laws.
Representative Trahan represents Massachusetts’s 3rd congressional district. Negative feedback from her voters will be crucial both to preventing this bill from moving forward and for sending a signal to lawmakers that future efforts to preempt state regulations will carry a political cost. If you are a concerned constituent, you can sign this petition urging her to oppose any legislation that would override state AI safeguards or you can contact her local office by phone at (978) 459-0101.
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