Kerby Anderson

Democrats and Republicans don’t agree on much these days, but there is one significant area of bipartisanship: the AI threat. There appears to be agreement and common ground on that issue.

One illustration was a 99-1 U.S. Senate vote against a proposed moratorium on AI regulation. Both sides believe some aspect of artificial intelligence needs urgent regulation. One bipartisan bill would prevent AI from using the voice and likeness of any individual without authorization.

Another concern came from the testimony in a Senate hearing about creepy messages sent to children. Parents shared concerns about the impact this was having on their children. Some children were driven to suicide.

The solution from tech companies may solve some problems but create others. One chatbot was sending “sensual” messages to children. That led one company to say they will install age-gating to prevent young people from interacting with these chatbots.

But on the other side was the announcement that certain chatbots would provide “erotica” to users who verify their age on the platform. And it was announced that the newest version would have a personality that behaves more like a person.

So let me get this straight. This country is pushing full speed ahead to create the most effective artificial intelligence in the world. We are building huge data centers that must be powered by additional power plants and nuclear facilities. And we are doing all this so that adults can get online and have sexy, sensual conversations with AI computers.

Perhaps you can see why many members in Congress, as well as millions of Americans, want some form of regulation on AI technology. I applaud the desire to protect young people but am also concerned about the push for “erotica” for adults.