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Ask a Pol ai
Hosted by Ask a Pol by Matt Laslo · EN
Asking your lawmakers your (generative...) artificial intelligence questions at your US Capitol.
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Sen. Josh Hawley doubts Congress will act on AI deepfakes: “Tech companies, they always get their way here”
Mar 2, 202400:04:47Tap to summarizeWho?Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) Hawley’s asked So do you think there’s time this year for AI legislation?Key Hawley“Time? Yes. Willingness? No,” Hawley replies. “Tech companies, they always get their way here”“I don’t get it. I don’t understand why these companies, these tech companies, they always get their way here. It’s all the same people. It’s Microsoft. It’s Google. It’s Meta. And they always say: ‘We’re for guardrails’ but they never are. Unless they write them, and then if they write them (inaudible). Take our Section 230 bill. It’s like the most modest bill. It just says that somebody can get into court if their image or likeness is used, they’re a victim of AI technology, if they’re a victim of a prank phone call, I guess, they can sue a company that helped a perpetrate it. But oh no, the companies are dead set against it.” DEEPER DIVE: This interview helped inform Matt Laslo’s reporting for this feature: ‘Abuse’: Politicians are fretting about AI stealing their faces and voicesLISTEN: Laslo & HawleyBelow find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol’s exclusive interview with Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), slightly edited for clarity.TRANSCRIPT: Laslo & HawleyReporter: “I guess the kind of question is does [the fake Biden robocall in New Hampshire] kind of increase the sense of urgency for the bill that you guys have, the AI and deepfake bill?”Josh Hawley: “Yeah, because we’re going to see — my prediction is we’re going to see a lot of this stuff. We’re going to see videos too. The voice is bad, but the videos are going to be really bad. Because they're at a point — and I'm sure you all have seen these videos — they're really realistic, you can’t tell the difference, a lot of them now. They're going to get better and better and better, more and more quickly, and when you add the voice with the video, I mean, it's gonna be impossible to tell. People are not going to know. So, no, I think we need to, this is an area where we need to act. Congress needs to take action.” Matt Laslo: “But it feels like after all of last year’s forums and everything, there was no impetus to act?”JH: “All those forums, they were critical!” Hawley laughs. ML: “Right?”JH: “That really built momentum! Yeah, it’s important to have all those cocktail parties with all of the biggest companies in the world, because they always want us to take action. No, those were a total joke, let’s be honest.”Reporter: “But you’ve been pushing for consequences to AI, and so, do you feel, are you expecting that there will be some sort of lawsuit or anything?”JH: “Oh, lawsuit? Oh, I hope so. But well, but here’s the problem, you can’t sue them, because they say they’re immune under Section 230. So lo and behold, they now say: ‘Oh, we’re immune.’”Reporter: “That would apply to some social media companies doing this, but the actors who are involved in it?” JH: “Oh, the individuals?”Reporter: “Yeah.”JH: “I mean, can you find them? Yes, sure, if you can find them, and, I mean, good luck. But the technology, the platforms on which it’s disseminated, you know, that’s where you want to get access to. I mean, listen, I’d love to sue the actors. I’d love to sue em all. But we need a change in legislation to make it clear that AI companies cannot hide behind Section 230 and we need to pass our elections bill.”Reporter: “And who is opposing your bill?”JH: “Well, the companies. I mean, when I went to the floor — I mean, my own party opposes it. I mean, I tried to pass that before the Sen. [Ted] Cruz objected. But I mean, yeah, go ahead.”Reporter: “No, no, I mean, I guess I can talk to Sen. Cruz about why, but I mean — did you try to talk to him about it?”JH: “Yes, oh, we have an interesting back-and-forth on the floor about it. And I don’t want to speak for him, I have a lot of respect for Ted. But I just think that — I don’t get it. I don’t understand why these companies, these tech companies, they always get their way here. It’s all the same people. It’s Microsoft. It’s Google. It’s Meta. And they always say: ‘We’re for guardrails’ but they never are. Unless they write them, and then if they write them (inaudible). Take our Section 230 bill. It’s like the most modest bill. It just says that somebody can get into court if their image or likeness is used, they’re a victim of AI technology, if they’re a victim of a prank phone call, I guess, they can sue a company that helped a perpetrate it. But oh no, the companies are dead set against it.” Reporter: “So do you think there’s time this year for AI legislation?”JH: “Time? Yes. Willingness? No.”Reporter: “That’s the issue of willingness, not time?”JH: “Sen. Schumer had all of these, I call em cocktail parties with these companies, vowing action, action, action. Here we are, he’s put exactly nothing on the floor. Sen. [Richard] Blumenthal and I have bipartisan bills they could put on the floor. Sen. [Amy] Klobuchar and I have bipartisan bills…”Reporter: “So is [your] election [bill] still a priority for Schumer or not? Do you know? Have you heard anything? He said that election AI legislation is a priority this year.”JH: “That’s just talk. I’ll believe it when I see it. We had antitrust bills that we voted out of committee on a bipartisan basis in the last Congress, and he didn’t touch them. They were bills — for two full years and he didn’t put them on the floor. I don’t think he’s going to. I would expect nothing from him because these companies are extremely powerful and wealthy and influential.”Reporter: “So what has to happen? Some lawsuits? They have to lose big in the courts and then that’s what’s going to change the dynamic?”JH: “Well, one of the problems though is that you can’t sue them.” Reporter: “But there are pending lawsuits…”JH: “There are pending lawsuits, and there are some on social media too. But, in general, these folks are going to win these lawsuits because they use Section 230. So what’s going to have to happen is probably public outrage. That’s what’s going to have to happen, and that’s what they ask for. People like me are going to continue to have to go to the floor, which I’m going to do, and bring up these bills, and make people come and object.”Reporter: “So when’s your next vote on the floor?”JH: “Hopefully soon. I think that current circumstances suggest we should do it soon.”Reporter: “There’s also been some discussion about, even at the FEC, provisions with the FEC, having the FEC enforce some of these things more, which is very relevant to this crisis. Do you think there’s room for that?”JH: “I think start with the bill. Start with the bill I have with Sen. Klobuchar…”Matt Laslo covers tech politics for WIRED, lectures on technology’s impact on government at Johns Hopkins and is the founder of Ask a Pol — a new people-powered press corps. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.askapol.com/about#:~:text=Ask%2...
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Sen. Tim Kaine on AI Deepfakes in election: “Pretty nervous about this"
Mar 2, 202400:00:35Tap to summarizeWho?Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA)Ask a Pol asks:“Do you think we’ll see any Senate action on deepfakes ahead of the election now we’re in the midst?”Key Kaine: “Pretty nervous about this,” Kaine told Ask a Pol. “Because of Biden robocall, the fake Biden robocall. I haven’t heard discussion of Senate action about it. But I think all of us paid a lot of attention to that, and we have members who’ve been warning about it for a while.”Content posted at AskaPol.com is copyrighted. Use our original content to move the story forward, and, please, link to us.LISTEN: Laslo & KaineTRANSCRIPT: Sen. Tim KaineMatt Laslo: “Do you think we’ll see any Senate action on deepfakes ahead of the election now we’re in the midst?”Tim Kaine: “Pretty nervous about this…”ML: “Right?”TK: “…this Biden robocall, the fake Biden robocall. I haven’t heard discussion of Senate action about it, but I think all of us paid a lot of attention to that. And we have members who’ve been warning about it for a while.”ML: “Yeah, but now we’re in the midst of the election, makes it harder, right?”TK: “Well, I mean, it can affect either side, but I’ve just not heard of legislative action.”ML: “Yeah. Preciate ya.”Matt Laslo’s a veteran congressional correspondent, new media prof. & founder of Ask a Pol — a new, people-powered press corps.Ask a Pol — asking your lawmakers your questions at your US Capitol. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.askapoluaps.com/subscribe Get full access to Ask a Pol ai at www.askapolai.com/subscribe
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Sen. Cornyn on Schumer's AI forums: "I don’t think the scare tactics have been particularly useful"
Mar 1, 202400:01:01Tap to summarizeWho?Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) — former Senate GOP Whip; running to replace Sen. Mitch McConnell as GOP Leader Ask a Pol asked:“What was your takeaway from all those AI briefings and forums?”Clutch Cornyn: “I think there’s been a lot of hype,” Cornyn tells Ask a Pol. “I think it’s a good idea for us to understand it better, but I don’t think the scare tactics have been particularly useful.”Caught our ear: AI regulatory body? “There’s one guy, I think, former CEO of IBM, who said: ‘You can’t regulate what you don’t understand,’” Cornyn tells us. LISTEN: Laslo & CornynBelow find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol’s exclusive interview with Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), slightly edited for clarity.TRANSCRIPT: Sen. John CornynMatt Laslo: “What was your takeaway from all those AI briefings and forums?”John Cornyn: “Well, either it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread, or it’s going to take over the world and destroy us. It’s one of the two.”Laslo laughs. ML: “But can’t it be both at the same time?” Laughs.JC: “Probably. I think there’s been a lot of hype. I think it’s a good idea for us to understand it better, but I don’t think the scare tactics have been particularly useful.”ML: “Yeah? And do you think — like some people call for an AI regulatory body, you think that’s going overboard?”JC: “I do. There’s one guy, I think, former CEO of IBM, who said: ‘You can’t regulate what you don’t understand.’”ML: “Yeah. There you go. Have a good one, sir!”Matt Laslo’s a veteran congressional correspondent, new media prof. & founder of Ask a Pol — a new, people-powered press corps.Ask a Pol — asking your lawmakers your questions at your US Capitol. @AskaPol_ai This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.askapoluaps.com/subscribe Get full access to Ask a Pol ai at www.askapolai.com/subscribe
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Sen. Amy Klobuchar on deepfakes: "This is just going to keep happening"
Feb 11, 202400:03:09Tap to summarizeWho?Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) — serves on both Senate Judiciary & Commerce CommitteesAsk a Pol asked:Is there any chatter or movement on your deepfake legislation? Clutch Klobuchar: ““Well, I hope so. I guess it’s gotten frontpage interest now. And this is what I said: hair on fire — we can’t wait until next year to get this done. This is just going to keep happening, and that’s why this banning deepfake ads — and by the way, the bill actually would cover what happened with the robocall. So it’s not just ads that you would see that are paid, it’s using deepfakes in a political campaign, to raise money or influence an election in any way…” Interview helped inform this feature:‘Abuse’: Politicians are fretting about AI stealing their faces and voices, by Matt Laslo, 1-26-2024**I do dozens of interviews for most features, but only a handful of them make the cut — the others help me write so authoritatively.LISTEN: Laslo & Klobuchar Below find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol’s exclusive interview with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), slightly edited for clarity.TRANSCRIPT: Sen. Amy KlobucharMatt Laslo: “Hey senator, I was wondering if there’s any chatter or movement on your deepfake legislation?” Amy Klobuchar: “Well, I hope so. I guess it’s gotten frontpage interest now. And this is what I said: hair on fire — we can’t wait until next year to get this done. This is just going to keep happening, and that’s why this banning deepfake ads — and by the way, the bill actually would cover what happened with the robocall. So it’s not just ads that you would see that are paid, it’s using deepfakes in a political campaign, to raise money or influence an election in any way. So it actually covers what happened with the robocall, and I keep adding Republicans, [Sen. Pete] Rickets (R-NE) is on it now. And, as you know, [Sen. Josh] Hawley (R-MO) is the lead Republican. And they’ve done in states blue and red. They’ve done it in Texas. But those things only apply to state campaigns, and that’s why this has got to be a priority in our AI legislation — doing it on its own or doing it as part of the package, it has to happen soon. We can’t wait. And there’s two things we have to do: one is the disclaimers and the watermarks, which some of the companies are doing voluntarily. But that is not going to be enough. You’re not going to have a fake Joe Biden make a call or a fake Donald Trump, and then at the end you go: ‘Oh by the way, this was created by AI.’ It’s not going to work. And so that’s why you have to ban the actual deepfakes where people — it’s pretty simple to define. You have to have an exception for satire under the Supreme Court precedent, which we do. We’ve had Democratic and Republican lawyers look at it. Anyone that thinks it’s something, look at it, helping one side or another, the fact that I’m doing it with Hawley should be an answer to you on that. It’s not. It’s just the right thing to do for our democracy.” ML: “How would what we all just witnessed in New Hampshire have played out differently under your legislation?” AK: “It would have been banned, and it would have been whoever — and remember, the company did that, right? And now they’ve been — someone did that. And so at least going into it, people that might think that they could participate in something like that would know that it was against the law from the very beginning. It allows — imagine if these deepfakes start going on all the platforms, and some of them are big, some of them are small. This would be very clear they have to take them down immediately and it will also in the middle of a political campaign allow them to say: ‘The law says we have to take this down, this isn’t satire.’ TV does this all the time. TV decides there’s ads they can allow. They look at them and say, ‘Do they meet the FCC [Federal Communications Commission] standards or not?’ Well, this would be the same kind of thing for deepfakes. I’ve got to go…” Reporter: “Your bill is not new, why hasn’t it gotten attention?” AK: “That’s because we’re working on a package on AI, Sen. [Chuck] Schumer is, and so it’s part of that package. I hope it will be. And this should guarantee that we get more Republican senators strongly saying this is wrong.” Reporter: “Thank you, senator.” ML: “Thank you so much, ma’am.” Matt Laslo covers tech politics for WIRED, lectures on technology’s impact on government at Johns Hopkins and is the founder of Ask a Pol — a new people-powered press corps. On social @MattLaslo // @Ask_a_PolAsk a Pol — asking your lawmakers your questions at your US Capitol. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.askapoluaps.com/subscribe Get full access to Ask a Pol ai at www.askapolai.com/subscribe
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EXCLUSIVE — Senate Democratic Whip outsourced deepfakes to Klobuchar for 2024
Jan 29, 202400:00:47Tap to summarizeWho?Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) — Senate Majority Whip (ie #2 Senate Democrat) Ask a Pol’s ask:“Now that we’ve seen deepfakes deployed — you know, using Biden’s voice — in New Hampshire, do you think Congress is going to be able to address that ahead of November?” Key (and only…) Quote: “Gotta ask Amy Klobuchar. I think she’s got some proposals on that, deepfakes.” Interview helped inform this feature:‘Abuse’: Politicians are fretting about AI stealing their faces and voices, by Matt Laslo, 1-26-2024**I do dozens of interviews for most features, but only a handful of them make the cut — the others help me write so authoritatively. Subscribe so our next exclusive raw AI conversation hits your inbox first! Next up (& longer…): Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) LISTEN: Laslo & Durbin Below find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol’s exclusive interview with Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), slightly edited for clarity.TRANSCRIPT: Sen. Dick DurbinSCENE: Laslo’s standing in basement of US Capitol on a busy Tuesday during a Senate vote chatting with another reporter when he sees Dick Durbin and his security detail exit a tram. Matt Laslo: “Hey, how are you? I’m gonna go get Durbin.”Laslo approaches Durbin. ML: “Hey, how are you, senator?”Durbin makes eye contact. ML: “Now that we’ve seen deepfakes deployed — you know, using Biden’s voice — in New Hampshire, do you think Congress is going to be able to address that ahead of November?” Dick Durbin: “Gotta ask [Sen.} Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). I think she’s got some proposals on that, deepfakes.” ML: “But it doesn’t seem like it’s a priority here now that we’re in the election.” Durbin and his detail kept moving past a scrum of reporters and Laslo was left behind before they hopped an elevator. DD: “Yeah.” Matt Laslo covers tech politics for WIRED, lectures on technology’s impact on government at Johns Hopkins and is the founder of Ask a Pol — a new people-powered press corps. On social @MattLaslo // @Ask_a_PolAsk a Pol — asking your lawmakers your questions at your US Capitol.*we blame Congress for typos (though ping us & we’ll take care of any!) This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.askapoluaps.com/subscribe Get full access to Ask a Pol ai at www.askapolai.com/subscribe
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