The Center for Civil Rights and Tech Celebrates Advancement of Expanding AI Voices Act out of House Science Committee

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mariah Wildgen, [email protected]

Expanding AI Voices Act invests in research and workforce development in communities closest to civil rights impacts of AI

WASHINGTON — Koustubh “K.J.” Bagchi, vice president of the Center for Civil Rights and Technology, issued the following statement about the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s markup of the bipartisan Expanding AI Voices Act , H.R.9403, which invests in AI research at Minority Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and Tribal Colleges and Universities (MSIs, HBCUs, and TCUs):

“Passing the Expanding AI Voices Act out of committee today marks a welcome shift toward recognizing a vital truth — innovation isn’t real until it includes all of us. AI should be developed and deployed with the most impacted communities not only in mind, but in the driver’s seat. Investing in AI research and development at HBCUs, MSIs, and TCUs ensures these diverse communities have a voice in and power over how this technology developed, how it’s deployed, and how those who abuse its power are held accountable. A notable byproduct of this bill is that it will also prepare a more diverse workforce in the midst of the AI boom. We thank Congresswoman Valerie Foushee, D. N.C., and Chair Frank Lucas, R. Okla., for their leadership shepherding this critical bill forward and Congressman Sean Casten, D. Ill., for his thoughtful amendment to include labor organizations in research opportunities. We hope to see it pass the full House of Representatives this session.

“Yet out of the nine bills passed out of the House Science Committee today on AI, none included safeguards to protect people across the United States against civil rights violations. The real and potential civil rights harms of AI are well-documented. AI decision making systems can and do wrongly deny people access to opportunities for job advancement, financial resources, life-saving health care, and even freedom from imprisonment and incarceration. There is a demonstrated bias against communities of color, and immigrant, indigenous, and other historically marginalized communities in AI systems. While investing in research through more institutions that serve historically marginalized communities is helpful, research alone does not solve for the risks. Equitable innovation is possible, but we can only achieve it with safeguards that ensure everyone is treated fairly by AI.”

In September 2023, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and The Leadership Conference Education Fund launched the Center for Civil Rights and Technology to serve as a hub for advocacy, education, and research at the intersection of civil rights and technology policy. Our experts dive into the most pressing policy issues in three key areas: AI and privacy, voting and platform accountability, and broadband access.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 240 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.

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