Shuler has been at the forefront of the debate over AI’s impact on workers. AFL-CIO represents SAG-AFTRA, the actors union that is striking in part over concerns about workers being replaced with AI-generated content. Wiley has warned about algorithmic bias and recently co-authored a letter to the Biden White House demanding it require federal contractors to ensure they are not abusing consumers’ data or promoting discriminatory algorithms. Raji, whose research involves algorithmic auditing, has said evaluations are crucial to ensure technology doesn’t cause false arrests, unfair hiring decisions and inaccurate medical diagnoses.
Schumer (D-N.Y.) has said that the closed-door gathering, called an AI Insight Forum, will serve as the foundation of his efforts to craft bipartisan legislation regulating AI. Schumer’s office unveiled an extended guest list following criticism on social media that initial reports about forum attendees included only industry leaders and did not include any women.
The labor and civil rights advocates’ attendance was confirmed prior to initial reports about the forum, according to a person familiar with the plans, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the invitation process.
“Rest assured the federal government is serious about regulating tech folks,” Timnit Gebru, a prominent AI ethics researcher, tweeted in response to initial reports on the event. “These are the people they’re having closed-door forums with. Everything is going great.”
The list of industry guests is also expanding. Alex Karp, the CEO of Palantir, will also attend, according to the company.
Schumer has been teasing his work on AI for months, delivering a speech earlier this summer in which he called for a “new process” of policymaking to allow the United States to quickly regulate, as the European Union and other countries race ahead on their own proposals.