Elon Musk Urges AI Regulation and Creation of Federal Department

Tech leaders including Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Sundar Pichai met with US lawmakers to discuss the regulation of artificial intelligence (AI). Musk emphasized the need for a regulatory "referee" to ensure companies take safe actions in the public interest. Lawmakers are concerned about deepfakes, election interference, and attacks on critical infrastructure. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer highlighted the importance of bipartisan AI policy, while Microsoft President Brad Smith called for safety brakes for AI controlling critical infrastructure. Congress is holding three separate hearings on AI this week. Regulators globally are working on rules for generative AI, and several companies have signed President Joe Biden's voluntary AI commitments.