US Lawmakers Want AI Companies To Be Legally Responsible For Toxic Content
As artificial intelligence continues to expand its influence rapidly, the US government is seeking ways to safeguard users from harmful content. Integrating AI into our daily lives is still relatively new, and the accessibility it offers exposes vulnerable groups to potential victimization from the biases and hateful language that may persist within these systems.
One approach that the government believes could hold companies like OpenAI and Google accountable for any potential harm is to remove their legal protections. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Josh Hawley have introduced the No Section 230 Immunity for AI Act, which would effectively eliminate Section 230 for these companies.
Section 230, a component of the Communications Decency Act, shields interactive service providers and users from being treated as publishers or speakers of information created by other content providers. It means that the company is not held responsible if someone uses an online service to harm others. It also prevents legal action against these firms for hosting illegal media as long as efforts are made to remove it.
Today â¦@SenBlumenthalâ© and I introduce the first bipartisan AI bill - putting power in the hands of consumers to sue when AI harms them. It’s landmark protection for Americans, and more to come https://t.co/10rJOr5IP3
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) June 14, 2023
By revoking this provision, it places responsibility on the companies behind the AI services that are emerging at an astonishing rate, alongside the parties that create the content.
Hawley emphasized that this proposal would make companies “accountable for business decisions” regarding the products they develop. It is also intended as an initial step toward establishing regulations for AI and implementing guardrails for the broader community.
Efforts to reform Section 230 have been underway for several years to curb tech companies from knowingly allowing harmful content to propagate without intervention. Blumenthal and Hawley conducted a hearing in May specifically addressing AI, during which OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, requested government intervention in the growth of the tech.
Whether a bill of this nature will come to fruition remains a subject of debate. Engadget highlights that previous internet safety bills introduced by Blumenthal and Hawley, such as the EARN IT Act for child safety and the SMART Act addressing anti-addiction, have failed to take off.
[via Cointelegraph and Engadget, cover photo 256857959 © Andrey Popov | Dreamstime.com]
