Attorney General Kwame Raoul has joined forces with a bipartisan group of 39 attorneys general in pressing Congress to stand against a proposed moratorium on AI regulations at the state level. A letter to Congressional leaders, sourced from the Illinois Attorney General's office, outlines their collective concerns. It highlights the swiftly changing landscape of artificial intelligence, and the existing dangers it presents, such as the creation of child sexual abuse material and attempts at election interference.
In the letter, Raoul brings to light the fact that AI has been weaponized for "nefarious purposes, including the creation of child sexual abuse material and attempted election interference." States, he says, must be able to maintain control over the technology's development within their jurisdictions. This letter emphasizes the existing state laws and regulations that have been shaped through extensive input from a diverse range of stakeholders, such as consumers, industry experts, and advocates, all who would be sidelined should this federal amendment proceed.
Those in opposition to the Congressional moratorium argue that stripping states of regulatory power leaves a vacuum of accountability just as AI complexities begin to burgeon. The congressional amendment, part of a larger budget reconciliation bill, would effectively impose a 10-year prohibition on states from enforcing any state law or regulation addressing artificial intelligence and automated decision-making systems. This, they say, leaves consumers unprotected and ignores the potential for AI to yield unforeseen challenges in the near future.
According to Raoul, the need for a dynamic approach is critical when he notes, "additional matters – many unforeseeable today given the rapidly evolving nature of this technology – are likely to arise," in a statement obtained by the Illinois Attorney General's office. Advocates for state oversight contend that without the checks and balances offered by state regulation, American citizens could face unchecked exploitation by rapidly evolving AI technologies with no legal recourse.
The coalition's plea for Congress to rethink the AI moratorium is a defense of consumer protection at its core. It represents a united front of state authorities, ranging from American Samoa to Wisconsin, who agree that a one-size-fits-all policy from the federal level does not suffice in the face of AI's bespoke challenges and implications across various state lines.
