Ted Lieu: ‘I am freaked out by AI’

Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) on Monday called on Congress to take more steps to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) in a New York Times op-ed, citing risks associated with self-driving vehicles and facial recognition systems.

“As one of just three members of Congress with a computer science degree, I am enthralled by AI and excited about the incredible ways it will continue to advance society,” he wrote. “And as a member of Congress, I am freaked out by AI, specifically AI that is left unchecked and unregulated.”

Lieu outlined that while AI can have its advantages, including instantaneous search results, navigation systems and fraud protection on credit cards, its risks may cause more harm if it continues to go unregulated. He said teachers and newspaper editors may find it “increasingly difficult” to determine whether someone’s assignment was written by AI or the students.

To prove his point, Lieu used ChatGPT, a free and easy-to-use AI search tool, to write the first paragraph of his op-ed. He logged on to ChatGBT’s free website, and entered a prompt asking, “Write an attention grabbing first paragraph of an op-ed on why artificial intelligence should be regulated.”

“The rapid advancements in AI technology have made it clear that the time to act is now to ensure that AI is used in ways that are safe, ethical and beneficial for society. Failure to do so could lead to a future where the risks of AI far outweigh its benefits,” ChatGPT wrote in the first paragraph.

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