Mace Opens Hearing on the Future of Artificial Intelligence

WASHINGTON-Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation Chairwoman Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) delivered opening remarks at today's hearing on "Shaping Tomorrow: The Future of Artificial Intelligence." In her opening remarks, Subcommittee Chairwoman Mace highlighted artificial intelligence's (AI) impact on different U.S. economic sectors and emphasized the need to keep growing AI in order to remain dominant in the global technology race.

Below are Subcommittee Chairwoman Mace's prepared remarks:

Good afternoon, and thank you all for being here for today's important hearing on the future of artificial intelligence.

From the tools powering your smartphone to the algorithms predicting weather, recommending medicines, or helping farmers improve crop yields-AI is already shaping the world around us.

Just as we once competed for dominance in space or nuclear technology, the United States is now in a race for leadership in AI.

American companies are at the frontier for this race.

These companies are pushing the boundaries of what advanced language models can do, and countless startups and research labs are finding new applications for AI in every corner of the economy.

The stakes are high.

If the United States leads, we get to shape the standards, the ethics, and the economic benefits of this powerful technology.

If we fail, we cede such influence to adversaries who do not share our values.

AI will have an impact on all Americans. Across industries, AI is driving new efficiencies and creating breakthroughs to improve lives.

In healthcare, AI is helping to detect cancer earlier and accelerating drug development.

In transportation, it's making cars safer and logistics smarter.

In agriculture, it's reducing waste and helping farmers feed more people with fewer resources.

These advances aren't abstract. They are happening now and are creating better services, lower costs, and new opportunities for American workers and families.

But the technological future of AI remains uncertain.

Some experts warn we are just a few years away from the emergence of artificial general intelligence-or the singularity.

Others argue the technology has inherent limitations and we are decades away from the singularity, if it is even possible.

We don't know for certain what the future of AI will look like.

But what I do know is the future is too important to be left up to chance.

We need to do our best to understand what kinds of impact AI can have on our economy and society and develop potential solutions now, before it's too late.

This Subcommittee takes seriously its responsibility to examine these issues, and I am looking forward to hearing today from experts on both the current state of AI and the possible futures which lie ahead.

It is essential the United States lead, not just in building these technologies, but in ensuring they are developed responsibly, deployed safely, and used in ways which advance American values.

When we get this right, we will ensure artificial intelligence fulfills its extraordinary promise.

I look forward to today's discussion and to working with my colleagues on this Committee to ensure America leads in shaping the future of AI.