SENATOR ANWAR JOINS SENATE PASSAGE OF AI LEGISLATION FOCUSED ON PROPER USE OF TECHNOLOGY

Today, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) joined the Senate’s passage of legislation aimed at regulating Artificial Intelligence in Connecticut. This bill seeks to regulate transparency and accountability of AI, implement workforce training and criminalize improper uses of AI technology.

The bill seeks to make Connecticut just the second state to implement regulated use of AI as both the adoption and risks of misuse has grown in the past few years.

“Artificial intelligence has opportunities to deliver real positive and meaningful change in a number of industries. It also has significant downsides in adoption and use without guardrails, and without better monitoring, it stands the risk of harming Connecticut residents,” said Sen. Anwar. “I applaud my colleagues for developing thorough legislation seeking to improve transparency, accountability, training opportunities and oversight of AI, especially regarding misuse of deepfakes. These are strong steps forward in a fluid environment that can make our state a leader in how to best support AI.”

Senate Bill 2, “An Act Concerning Artificial Intelligence,” focuses specifically on transparency and accountability, workforce training and criminalization of non-consensual intimate images in the use of AI technology.

Regarding transparency, the bill seeks to ensure consumers are informed when they are interacting with AI platforms and chatbots instead of humans. Businesses must also inform the public when AI is being used to make consequential decisions, such as those that could impact employment, housing or health care, with the intent of upholding consumer rights and improving public trust in AI adoption.

These steps could not come sooner; according to Pew Research, as many as 60% of Americans are skeptical about responsible use of AI and believe companies will not focus on responsible use of the technology.

Additionally, the bill seeks to create an AI Safety Institute and an AI Academy, which will respectively support businesses in building safe AI systems without bias and offer training courses to individuals and businesses to encourage effective, responsible use of the technology. These will support training and potential retraining of workers while encouraging development of responsible AI without bias or discrimination, which could come unconsciously.

Finally, the bill seeks to prohibit the use of AI to develop “deepfake porn” or “revenge porn”; under the bill, “revenge porn” statutes will include generative AI images and prohibit development of functions on nonconsensual or underage image.

The bill passed the Senate by a 32-4 tally.