On Friday, Chamber of Progress released new research using an AI topic analysis model to analyze trends in this year’s AI hearings. The research, which examined testimony from 28 AI hearings this year, found stark differences in the way Republican and Democratic lawmakers talk about AI and also found changes in Congress’s regulatory focus in AI hearings as the year wore on. 

Read the full analysis of 2023 congressional AI hearings.

“When we started the year, lawmakers were opening hearings with deepfake audio clips and talking about a new federal agency for AI. When we ended the year, Congress’s focus had shifted to a risk-based, sectoral approach to AI regulation, examining specific harms and their remedies,” said study author and Chamber of Progress Policy Manager Ruth Whittaker. “It took lawmakers over a decade to understand the economics and technology behind social media, but in 2023, Congress made the effort to get up to speed on AI.”

In addition to examining year-long trends and changes in the AI discourse, Chamber of Progress’s new research analyzed differences in Republican and Democratic testimony on AI regulation. The study found that Republicans are far more likely to cite policy concerns over China and U.S. competitiveness in AI hearings, while Democrats are more likely to highlight concerns over discrimination, misinformation, and labor.

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Chamber of Progress (progresschamber.org) is a center-left tech industry policy coalition promoting technology’s progressive future.  We work to ensure that all Americans benefit from technological leaps, and that the tech industry operates responsibly and fairly.  

Our corporate partners do not have a vote on or veto over our positions. We do not speak for individual partner companies and remain true to our stated principles even when our partners disagree.