A bipartisan group of lawmakers in the United States has introduced a bill to facilitate the restriction of exports of AI models.
The legislation, presented late Wednesday, seeks to empower the Biden administration in imposing export controls on AI technologies, safeguarding them against potential misuse by foreign entities.
Spearheaded by House Republicans Michael McCaul and John Molenaar, alongside Democrats Raja Krishnamoorthi and Susan Wild, the bill intends to grant the Commerce Department explicit authority to prevent Americans from collaborating with foreign entities in the development of AI systems deemed detrimental to U.S. national security.
The proposed measure is designed to strengthen the forthcoming AI export regulations, addressing concerns that adversarial nations could exploit AI models, capable of processing extensive data to generate content or aid in cyber warfare, to the detriment of U.S. interests.
While the Commerce Department and the White House have yet to issue official statements regarding the bill, it aligns with recent reports suggesting the U.S. administration's inclination towards tightening controls on advanced AI technologies, particularly vis-à-vis China and Russia.
Existing legislation poses challenges in regulating the export of open-source AI models, which are readily accessible for download.
This bill seeks to surmount these obstacles by amending the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, thereby facilitating regulation of open-source AI models by the Commerce Department.
China's reliance on open-source AI models, notably Meta Platforms' "Llama" series, highlighted the urgency of such regulatory measures.
Recent revelations indicating that prominent Chinese AI firms have utilized Meta's models have heightened apprehensions regarding the potential misuse of Western-developed AI technologies by geopolitical rivals.
In parallel developments, concerns have been raised regarding the deepening ties between certain U.S. allies and China in the realm of artificial intelligence.
Microsoft's substantial investment in a United Arab Emirates-based AI firm, G42, has drawn scrutiny, particularly amidst escalating tensions between the U.S. and China over technological supremacy.
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