Two Senate Finance Committee members have asked U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services to share information on their artificial intelligence practices.
Requested by Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Ranking Member Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, the provided information should cover the ways in which the organizations are employing AI and the measures they are taking to make sure these technologies are being used properly, the committee said on Thursday.
Wyden stated that like other new technologies, AI offers “exciting opportunities to better serve the American people,” but could cause harm if it is not regulated.
“The federal government has a responsibility to ensure the systems it is using to make decisions that impact Americans’ daily lives are doing so accurately and without harmful bias,” he added.
Wyden and Crapo wrote one letter addressing DHS and CBP and another to HHS. The first focused on the use of AI in regular CBP operations, including cargo screenings at borders, small package screenings at postal facilities and compliance, among others.
They noted the potential of AI to improve legitimate trade activities, but cautioned that it could “result in trade facilitation and enforcement systems that are ultimately less effective” if necessary restrictions are not put in place.
In the letter to HHS, Wyden and Crapo asked for information on the department’s utilization of AI in sorting and synthesizing large quantities of data for program management, administration and care.
Both letters called upon the organizations to identify any guardrails that have been implemented to detect and address algorithmic bias in AI tools.
“As technological innovations such as AI are used more frequently by government agencies, it is important for us to gain a better understanding of AI applications within the Finance Committee’s jurisdiction,” Crapo said.
The Potomac Officers Club will host its 5th Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 21, 2024. At the event, you will have the opportunity to hear from both public and private sector AI leaders, who will come together to consider the implications of AI use in the federal government. Click here to learn more, and click here to register to attend the summit.