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New AI LEAD Act Sets Out to Hold Companies Liable For Harmful AI Products
Center for Humane Technology commends Senators Durbin and Hawley for their bipartisan leadership in introducing the AI LEAD Act, and for their commitment to addressing the real harms AI products are inflicting on American families and communities. With liability at the core of this legislation, the AI LEAD Act represents an important step forward in placing accountability for AI products where it belongs — on the AI companies themselves.
It has never been more clear that Americans urgently need effective policy that addresses harmful AI design. Earlier this month, the nation heard harrowing Senate testimonies from parents who lost their children following manipulation and abuse by AI chatbots. Their tragedies underscore the need for action to protect other families from preventable tragedies. These cases are part of a broader pattern of AI-related harms we’re already seeing emerge in society, including: systems that provide incorrect medical, legal, or financial advice; automated decision-making tools that cause economic damage; and costly business disruptions from AI product malfunction.
CHT has long believed that high-risk AI systems should be considered products, and that liability standards are essential for creating an ecosystem where innovation and responsibility work in partnership in tech development, rather than in opposition. By writing such standards into federal law, the AI LEAD Act will ensure that safety is a standard feature in new AI products.
Currently, consumers have no clear path to accountability when AI products cause harm, while companies continue to rush products to market without adequate safety measures. Clarifying AI developers’ liability ensures that consumers have clear recourse for harms caused, and that developers are incentivized to design AI responsibly from the outset. This approach is fundamentally fair and ensures those impacted have access to our legal system.
We look forward to working further with Senators Durbin and Hawley to advance meaningful legislation that promotes American innovation without compromising consumer safety.
Fantastic to hear that you are working with Congress to address these very real impacts on families. There has to be a kind of currency that does give them pause, at least for a moment, to realize that they might need to change their approach. This needs to be a priority with as quickly as the race is to be the dominant AI company. If the death of human beings isn't enough on their conscience, then there has to be something else.