Dear neighbor, 

Members of Congress must keep up with how technology affects society.  As a recovering computer science major, I’m excited about emerging technologies, like artificial intelligence and super computers. However, I also know that reasonable regulation is critical to protect American consumers and our national security.  

Artificial intelligence is an incredibly powerful tool that is evolving at an extraordinarily rapid pace. It is already in our daily life in cars and on our phones; in a variety of systems seen and unseen; and in our creative industries. That’s exciting, but also scary. Right now, I liken AI to a steam engine, which was quite disruptive to society. Soon, it will be like a rocket ship with a personality. AI will eliminate a number of jobs and create new ones, and it will allow us to be as productive with a 4 day workweek as we are now. At the same time, AI is embedded in systems like self-driving cars that could malfunction and kill us.

Congress must think about how to regulate AI to harness the benefits of AI and protect ourselves from its potential harms. Good regulations will strengthen AI, just as good regulations improved pharmaceutical drugs and automobiles. Last week, I introduced legislation to encourage Congress to focus on the rapidly developing world of AI. To show you just how powerful AI is, we asked the popular AI chatbot ChatGPT to write the resolution, making it the first piece of federal legislation to have been written by AI.  

I’m pleased to share that, in addition to serving on the House Judiciary and Foreign Affairs Committees, I am joining the House Science, Space and Technology Committee in the 118th Congress. I will use this new role to address how we can use AI for the betterment of society while limiting its harms. I am also working on legislation to create a bipartisan commission to study the creation of a federal agency to regulate AI. That one will be drafted by humans, I promise.  

Earlier this week, I joined ABC 7 Los Angeles to talk about why Congress needs to regulate AI and my plan to do so. Check it out below. 

Here’s a look at what else I’ve been up to during this busy week in Washington: 

• Marked the 83rd anniversary of the first Social Security check by reaffirming Democrats’ commitment to defend this critical program from Republican cuts. 
• Sent a letter to the Department of Justice Inspector General requesting an investigation into whether Special Counsel John Durham and then-Attorney General Bill Barr abused their positions and violated the law during their fruitless investigation into the 2016 Russia inquiry. 
• Called on Republicans to work with Democrats on comprehensive immigration reform that would address the crisis at our southern border during a House Judiciary Committee hearing.  
• Announced my appointment to the House Science, Space and Technology Committee – using a press release written by ChatGPT. 
• Joined Washington Post Live for a conversation about artificial intelligence, the recent string of mass shootings in our state, and more. Watch the full interview here.  

ICYMI: Last weekend I was honored to host our eighth annual bipartisan multidistrict Service Academy Day. Students from all over Southern California got to hear from representatives of our five amazing military service institutions. It was inspiring to meet some of the next generation of brave servicemembers. 

Reminder: My office is now accepting applications for the 2023 Congressional Art Competition! This is a great opportunity for high school students in our district to share their artistic talents. Send in your submission by March 3rd for consideration and mark your calendar for our reception on March 18th. For more information and to submit your artwork, visit https://lieu.house.gov/services/art-competition. 

For more on my work in Congress, please visit my website at lieu.house.gov and follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have any questions or concerns, please call our D.C. office at (202) 225-3976 or our Los Angeles district office at (323) 651-1040. 

I look forward to updating you again soon. 

Sincerely, 

Ted W. Lieu 

Member of Congress