Watch: Senator Markey floor remarks on AI Civil Rights Act

Washington (November 21, 2024) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today delivered floor remarks celebrating the growing support for his Artificial Intelligence (AI) Civil Rights Act. The legislation – the most comprehensive AI civil rights legislation introduced in Congress – would put strict guardrails on companies’ use of algorithms for consequential decisions, ensure algorithms are tested before and after deployment, help eliminate and prevent bias, and renew Americans’ faith in the accuracy and fairness of complex algorithms. Eighty civil rights, labor, housing, LGBTQ+, disability, and immigration organizations, along with AI experts, now support this legislation. Senator Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) is a cosponsor of the legislation. Below is an excerpt from his remarks.

“Over the past two years, generative AI products like ChatGPT have exploded in popularity while companies have invested tens of billions of dollars developing new AI models. The AI innovation race is in full swing. I share much of this excitement. AI holds great promise, with the potential to transform the way we live, work, and interact with the world. But as with any race, there are winners and losers. And I’m deeply worried that we are too focused on the potential winners of this AI race, and we are neglecting those who are already being left behind.

“Because although AI may be having a moment right now, we have been living with its impact for years. This is especially true for Black, Brown, immigrant, and LGBTQ+ communities which have borne the cost of the ‘move fast and break things’ mindset that pervades Silicon Valley. To understand why, it’s helpful to understand how these AI-driven algorithms actually work. Because these algorithms are really just supercharged pattern recognition systems. It’s not all that different from teaching a dog a new trick.

“Today, I am proud to announce that 54 new organizations have endorsed my bill, including some of the biggest labor unions in the country, critical housing organizations, and indispensable civil rights groups. In total, 80 civil society organizations and AI experts have endorsed my AI Civil Rights Act. This support sends a clear message: As Congress considers AI legislation in the coming weeks and years, we must ensure the AI age does not come at the expense of already-marginalized communities. We cannot allow AI to stand for Accelerating Injustice in our country. We have a choice.

“Do we promote innovation without addressing AI bias and discrimination? Do we protect profits instead of people? Do we allow biased black-box algorithms to control our lives? Make no mistake: we can have an AI revolution, while also protecting the civil rights and liberties of everyday Americans. We can support innovation without supercharging bias and discrimination. And we can promote competition, while safeguarding people’s rights. That is why we must pass my Artificial Intelligence Civil Rights Act.”

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