Wisconsin lawmakers oppose federal AI regulatory framework

MILWAUKEE — A bipartisan group of Wisconsin lawmakers is pushing back against a congressional proposal to regulate AI across the country.

State Rep. Adam Neylon, R-Pewaukee, believes AI could be beneficial for Wisconsin’s growth as long as it’s kept in check.

“I think it could really help workforce be more productive, help people optimize their abilities more, but I think it’s also something we need to be fearful of,” Neylon said.

Neylon said lawmakers need to understand AI so they can protect Wisconsinites from its potential dangers.

That’s an opinion that’s shared by State Rep. Clinton Anderson, D-Beloit.

“Rep. Neylon and I don’t agree on too much, but we agree that there needs to be some roadblocks and guardrails on the use of AI unchecked,” Anderson said.

Both say more work needs to be done to regulate AI in Wisconsin, and they’re calling on Congress to not impede the state’s progress.

In June, a discussion draft was released for the ‘Great American Artificial Intelligence Act’ (GAAIA), which would be the first comprehensive federal legislation regulating AI.

The proposal would establish the Center for AI Standards and Innovation, provide grants to prepare students for an ‘AI-Literate Future’, and would preempt any state or local law targeting the development of AI models.

That final provision is causing Neylon and Anderson to push back on the legislation as being too ‘heavy-handed’.

“If they’re going to say no, you can’t do anything, I think that’s a huge problem,” Anderson said. “States are a good place for us to come up with innovation and good ideas, and they’re putting a roadblock up.”

“It goes too far, and it tries to mandate that we don’t regulate AI at all, but there are things that the state needs to regulate such as election law, criminal law,” Neylon said.

The pair joined hundreds of other state lawmakers from across the country in sending a letter asking Congress to go back to the drawing board.

“We appreciate congressional engagement on AI and stand ready to collaborate on thoughtful national policy. But we respectfully urge you to reject GAAIA’s preemption proposal overriding state AI legislation and to support the development of, rather than the dismantling of, responsible AI policy,” the letter read in part.

Wisconsin lawmakers say regulating AI is not a partisan issue, and it’s the responsibility of state government to determine how best to handle the developing technology.

“It’s going to impact every sector of our lives, so there’s going to be regulations that are needed,” Neylon said.

“We can’t wait. I think we should’ve done something months ago,” Anderson said. “It’s got to get done. I think there’s too many unanswered questions and there’s a lot of folks that are concerned.”

The ‘Great American AI Act’ is just a discussion draft and hasn’t been formally introduced in Congress.