Senator Carper Calls Attention to the Role of the Federal Government in Shaping Emerging Artificial Intelligence Technologies

Today at the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing “Governing AI Through Acquisition and Procurement,” U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del), a senior member of the committee, highlighted the role of the federal government in using and shaping emerging AI technologies, and how the adoption of these tools will impact the federal workforce. This hearing comes after Senator Carper attended the Artificial Intelligence Insight Forums yesterday, a session hosted by Leader Schumer, Senator Rounds, Senator Heinrich, and Senator Young.

During the hearing, Senator Carper called attention to ways that the federal government can utilize AI to serve Americans across the country:

“As we’ve heard this morning, AI has the potential to transform many aspects […] of our lives, including the speed and effectiveness of government service. We are public servants, and our job is to serve the people of this country. So, the questions from me are, how can AI help us to be better public servants and to serve the people in this country in a wide variety of ways, along with helping us with the spread of information, helping us with respect to economic competitiveness as a nation, and helping us with respect to the changing worker responsibilities?”

Senator Carper then emphasized the role that AI will play in streamlining public services and reducing waste:

“I’m curious about how AI will be incorporated throughout the federal government, specifically with regards to efforts to streamline service delivery and waste reduction. I don’t like to waste my money. I don’t like to waste taxpayer money. I think that’s probably true for all of us who serve here.”

A video of Senator Carper’s questions at today’s hearing can be found here.

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