Oklahoma Lawmaker Proposes Bills to Regulate Artificial Intelligence
In a proactive move to address the rapid advancements in technology, State Representative Cody Maynard of Durant has introduced three significant bills aimed at establishing guardrails for artificial intelligence (AI).
Rapid Technological Advancements
Maynard emphasizes the growing gap between technological advancements and state regulations. “One of the things that has been happening is technology is advancing so rapidly that state government is not keeping up with it at all,” he stated.
Overview of the Proposed Bills
Maynard’s legislative approach is structured around a three-pronged system:
- House Bill 3546
This bill clarifies the status of AI systems, establishing that they are not to be treated as people. Maynard highlights that a company generating an AI system cannot use it as a scapegoat to avoid liability for its actions. “AI is just a tool. It’s man-made, and an AI should have no more rights than a copy machine does,” he noted. - House Bill 3545
This legislation focuses on the state’s use of AI, emphasizing transparency in decision-making processes and ensuring that human judgment always prevails. “This bill will make sure that an AI never gets to decide your fate, that a human always has to be the final decider,” Maynard asserted. - House Bill 3544
In light of recent incidents involving minors, this bill aims to protect children from the potential harms of AI interactions. Maynard referenced concerning cases where children engaged in dialogues with AI systems that led to tragic outcomes. “Already, we’re seeing some tragic cases pop up around the country where some minors have completed suicide, and this has been after they’ve had long dialogues and even encouragement from AIs to commit self-harm,” he said.
Community Response
The introduction of these bills has garnered support from concerned parents. For instance, Shelley Dunnam, a mother from Durant, expressed her approval, stating, “There’s a lot of things that we can use ChatGPT for, that we can ask for questions. It’s kind of replaced Google as a whole, in my opinion. However, these safeguards are really important for our kids specifically because they’re not seeing those gray areas that they can fall into.”
The proposed legislation represents a crucial step towards ensuring the safe and responsible use of AI technologies, particularly in contexts involving vulnerable populations such as children.
