Sen. Jeff Merkley calls for FDA-style federal oversight of AI safety

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Right now, Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley is calling for more federal oversight of artificial intelligence.

Senator Merkley says experts heard during a recent briefing recommended creating a regulatory agency similar to the FDA.

"You need the equivalent of FDA controlling new drugs," Senator Merkley said Wednesday. "In this case, you're really talking about having an agency that's dedicated to making sure any new models coming out that are available are safe to use. And we don't really all understand what that means. Even the experts don't know what that means. This is all changing so fast in just a few years."

Senator Merkley says the agency could review new AI models and help ensure they're safe before they're made widely available.

He also says AI is developing so quickly that even experts are still trying to understand the potential risks.