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U.S. NEWSLETTER  

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AI Regulation Heats Up

It’s a big few weeks for the conversation around regulating artificial intelligence: CDT President and CEO Alexandra Reeve Givens spoke Tuesday at the second Senate AI Insight Forum ([link removed]), urging Congress to reject the idea that addressing AI harms is counter to innovation. Next week, the White House is expected to release its long-awaited Executive Order on AI ([link removed]), and the U.K. will host its AI Safety Summit ([link removed]), where CDT will also participate as a civil society delegate.

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Graphic for CDT's AI Governance Lab. Black CDT logo, alongside a black box and white text.

On Monday, CDT announced our new AI Governance Lab ([link removed]), through which we’ll engage directly with AI companies and multistakeholder initiatives, support public interest advocates, and guide policymakers on effective standards and best practices for AI. The Lab is led by responsible AI experts Miranda Bogen ([link removed]) and Kevin Bankston ([link removed]), and is supported by an Advisory Committee that includes experts Rumman Chowdhury, Irene Solaiman, Deb Raji, and Dave Willner.

As the AI policy conversation heats up, CDT has repeatedly called for governments to prioritize civil and human rights and the voices of civil society in their efforts. Earlier this month, we joined over 85 civil society organizations ([link removed]) in urging Congress to lead the world by promoting responsible, rights-respecting innovation that directly addresses AI’s myriad current harms, and also urged Congress to pass comprehensive privacy legislation ([link removed]) as a foundational pillar of AI governance.

We also pushed for the European Union's AI Act ([link removed]) to holistically protect human rights, and supported calls for the Federal Election Commission ([link removed]) (FEC) to consider how it might address the issues raised by the use of “deepfakes” in election campaigns.

In Case You Missed It

— CDT joined an amicus brief in Texas' online age verification law ([link removed]), which would require websites that host adult content to conduct age verification of every site visitor and display warnings from the state of Texas about pornography’s dangers to both adults and children. We argue that the law violates the First Amendment, and warn that the law would require online services to demand sensitive information from adult users before allowing them to access lawful, constitutionally protected speech.

— CDT Privacy & Data Co-Director Eric Null testified to the Massachusetts legislature ([link removed]) in support of the state’s Data Protection Privacy Act, which is modeled largely on the federal American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA), which CDT supported.

— CDT submitted comments to the Department of Justice ([link removed]) on enhancing web accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). We urged DOJ to ensure that individuals with disabilities can access services that adhere to the most up-to-date accessibility guidelines, specifically the forthcoming version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. 

CDT in the Press

— CDT’s Gabriel Nicholas and Aliya Bhatia spoke with 404 Media ([link removed]) about the shortcomings of multilingual language models when they are trained primarily in English, in light of recent high-profile Arabic translation errors.

— CDT’s Matt Scherer talked with Reuters ([link removed]) about AI in hiring: "Right now, it's the Wild Wild West out there," he said. "But that will change."

— CDT’s Mallory Knodel co-authored a piece in Tech Policy Press ([link removed]) on how policy proposals cropping up in Five Eyes nations both weaken encryption and threaten democracy.

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CDT's 2023 Annual Benefit, Tech Prom. November 2, 2023 at the Anthem in Washington, D.C.

CDT "in Person"

— Last call for this year’s Tech Prom ([link removed])! Join us on Thursday, November 2, 2023, from 6:00–10:00 PM at The Anthem in Washington, D.C., along with fellow policymakers, educators, civil society advocates, government representatives, corporate partners, and the interested public. Learn more about the event, sponsorship opportunities, and tickets on our Tech Prom event page ([link removed]).

— Won’t be in D.C. for Tech Prom? Join CDT’s Ridhi Shetty, Policy Counsel on the Privacy & Data Project, in Boston at the IAPP AI Governance Global Conference ([link removed]) on Friday, November 3, for a discussion on the future of AI policymaking along with recommendations for how we can build systems that are less biased, fairer, and more privacy-protective.

— Were you able to join us for the seventh annual Future of Speech Online ([link removed]) virtual event? Watch the recordings to see how CDT and our distinguished speakers navigated the promises and perils of generative AI models for the online speech landscape.  

Partner Spotlight
CDT is proud to be a Steering Committee Member of the Global Encryption Coalition.

The Global Encryption Coalition ([link removed]), composed of civil society and industry leaders, as well as academics and technical and cybersecurity experts, promotes and defends encryption in key countries and multilateral fora where it is under threat. It also supports efforts by companies to offer encrypted services to their users.

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Eric Null, wearing dark rimmed glasses and a pink toucan collared shirt, in front of a CDT logo.

Staff Spotlight
Eric Null ([link removed]), Co-Director of the Privacy & Data Project

How long have you been working in digital rights? I got my start in digital rights way back in 2011 while in law school. In my second year, I wrote my law journal note on net neutrality and I took a class on the "law of surveillance." After that, I was hooked. Since then, I've been obsessed with the conundrum of protecting people from the harms of technology while also allowing them to benefit from the use of cool and interesting technology that improves their lives. 

What is your proudest moment while here at CDT? My proudest "moment" is really a series of moments, because I have been incredibly fortunate to manage an intelligent, passionate, and extremely productive group of staff at CDT. My proudest moments are when they are able to put their bylines on an op-ed or a report that helps push the conversation forward, or when they come up with a great idea that we're able to execute.

What is the best book you've read recently? The Three-Body Problem. The ending of that book is by far one of the scariest concepts to think about and has occasionally kept me up at night.

Cats or dogs? Cats. They have the decency to leave you alone when you (or they) want to be left alone, but can also be extremely affectionate and cuddly.

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