Georgia lawmakers taking deep dive into AI future, fears

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Rapidly advancing artificial intelligence technology is bringing new opportunities and fears.

Senator John Albers and Senator Chuck Payne are leading the Georgia Senate’s new subcommittee on artificial intelligence. Albers said the goal of the committee is to educate members of the General Assembly on what AI is and where it is going.

“It’s the greatest disrupter we have seen in maybe a hundred years. It’s going to impact every part of our lives. It can bring enormous benefits to things such as healthcare, automation and solutions to some of the problems we face on a day-to-day basis. However, what can be used for good can also be used for evil,” said Albers.

Said Payne: “As chairman of the Senate Science and Technology Committee, I look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with Chairman Albers and the Public Safety Committee, to best address real concerns related to advances in artificial intelligence and to mitigate any risks facing the citizens of our state.”

The joint committee will bring industry experts to the table with the goal of analyzing current and projected future artificial intelligence practices.

The Federal Trade Commission warns they’re seeing scammers use artificial intelligence to re-create the voice of a loved one. All the scammers need is a few seconds of a recording.

Emory Professor Rajeev Garg said adding protections for users is important, but so is innovation. Consulting company McKinsey & Company estimates AI could add trillions of dollars to the global economy.

“What we used to do in a day, we can do in an hour. But with the help of AI, we can do the same thing in a minute,” said Garg.

“I want to commend Chairman Albers and Payne for their proactive work on this important issue,” Burt Jones, Georgia’s lieutenant governor, said. “Artificial intelligence is evolving rapidly and it is important for us to analyze current and future AI practices. We must look at the pros, cons and potential unintended consequences of AI and I look forward to the work of this Senate joint committee.”

The committee will meet at the Capitol in November.

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