Wyden, Merkley Introduce Legislation to Mandate Civil Rights Offices in Federal Agencies that Handle Artificial Intelligence
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) to introduce the Eliminating Bias in Algorithmic Systems (BIAS) Act to ensure that every federal agency that uses, funds, or oversees artificial intelligence has an office of civil rights focused on combating AI bias and discrimination, among other harms.
“There is no place for racial and ethnic bias in Oregon and across the nation, and that same mindset must apply to technology,” said Wyden. “As technology takes its next huge leap with artificial intelligence, it is absolutely fundamental that it is developed with no danger that it’s misused to discriminate against any person or group.”
“Algorithms play a significant role in the way society interacts and behaves every single day, whether we like it or not,” said Senator Merkley. “Because we know AI has the potential to exacerbate discrimination and inequality, federal agencies that employ the use of AI must have safeguards and boundaries in place to combat discrimination and bias.”
Wyden and Merkley said the legislation would also require every civil rights office to report their efforts to Congress and provide recommendations for congressional action.
Many federal agencies lack civil rights offices whose principal mission is to protect vulnerable communities across the United States. There are only 30 civil rights offices within the federal government, yet many are not required to secure staff with the expertise needed to advise the agency on algorithmic bias and discrimination.
The legislation was led by Markey. Along with Wyden and Merkley, the bill also was co-sponsored in the Senate by U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.).
The text of the bill is here.
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