AI legislation is going nowhere

The ideas and innovators shaping health care

Aug 07, 2023 View in browser   By Evan Peng, Ben Leonard and Erin Schumaker TECH MAZE Young sees existing laws as sufficient to regulate artificial intelligence. | AP Photo Don’t expect Congress to weigh in anytime soon with legislation to regulate artificial intelligence, which has sparked hopes for new cures and better diagnoses — and raised concerns about bias in health care. Sen. Todd Young told POLITICO’s Tech podcast he doesn’t expect the U.S. will need sweeping legislation to mitigate the technology’s risks. “We’re probably not going to have to ban a bunch of things that aren't currently banned. We’re not going to have to pass a lot of major legislation to deal with new threats,” the Indiana Republican said. Why it matters: Young’s view carries weight because he’s part of the small, bipartisan club that Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has assembled, along with Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), to break through congressional gridlock and put guardrails on the powerful new technology. In June, Schumer said he envisioned legislation to secure both U.S. national security and American jobs; support responsible systems in the areas of misinformation, bias, copyright, liability and intellectual property; require AI tools to align with democratic values; and determine what level of transparency the federal government and private citizens require from AI companies. What’s next? Young sees a different path, in which Congress will equip federal agencies with the people and resources needed to implement laws already on the books to watch over AI’s growth. “Many of these laws we have merely need to be applied to current and to future circumstances,” Young said. “That’s going to require ongoing vigilance from the agencies.” That could lead Congress to establish a new office in the White House to tackle artificial intelligence or perhaps expand the authority of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, Young suggested. But the debate between creating a new agency or leaning on existing ones has yet to be settled. “That’ll be a really important decision point,” he said. “I don’t think we're there yet.” On the Hill: The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee last month approved legislation by its chair, Michigan Democrat Gary Peters, and Texas Republican John Cornyn, that would establish a chief AI officer at every federal agency and an interagency council to coordinate the federal government’s use of the technology.   A NEW PODCAST FROM POLITICO: Our new POLITICO Tech podcast is your daily download on the disruption that technology is bringing to politics and policy around the world. From AI and the metaverse to disinformation and cybersecurity, POLITICO Tech explores how today’s technology is shaping our world — and driving the policy decisions, innovations and industries that will matter tomorrow. SUBSCRIBE AND START LISTENING TODAY.     WELCOME TO FUTURE PULSE San Francisco, Calif. | Evan Peng This is where we explore the ideas and innovators shaping health care. Share any thoughts, news, tips and feedback with Carmen Paun at cpaun@politico.com, Daniel Payne at dpayne@politico.com, Evan Peng at epeng@politico.com or Erin Schumaker at eschumaker@politico.com. Send tips securely through SecureDrop, Signal, Telegram or WhatsApp. Today on our Pulse Check podcast, your host Evan talks with Robert King, who explains why Medicaid insurers like Molina Healthcare are ramping up donations to Republican governors as states evaluate whether Medicaid enrollees are still eligible for the program. Listen to today’s Pulse Check podcast CHECKUP New research suggests it's safe to give Narcan to people with opioid use disorder. | Getty Training drug users on how to use opioid overdose reversal treatments — and giving them the opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone — does not prompt them to use more drugs, new evidence from Australian researchers suggests. Why it matters: As the opioid crisis continues in the U.S., fueled by fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, advocates have pushed for expanded access to naloxone, which can reverse otherwise fatal opioid overdoses. The Australian study, published in JAMA Network Open, indicates it would be safe to do so. Using an existing longitudinal study on people who inject drugs, the researchers found that 189 reported receiving training on how to use naloxone and were given some to take home. The researchers found no change in drug injection frequencies before and after naloxone training, while controlling for potential confounding factors.   YOUR TICKET INSIDE THE GOLDEN STATE POLITICAL ARENA: California Playbook delivers the latest intel, buzzy scoops and exclusive coverage from Sacramento and Los Angeles to Silicon Valley and across the state. Don't miss out on the daily must-read for political aficionados and professionals with an outsized interest in California politics, policy and power. Subscribe today.     AROUND THE NATION Medication treatment for opioid use disorder still isn't the norm, a new study found. | AP “Failing to use safe and lifesaving medications is devastating for people denied evidence-based care.” National Institute on Drug Abuse Director Nora Volkow Just 1 in 5 people with opioid use disorder were treated in 2021 with buprenorphine, methadone or other medications shown to help, according to researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. That means, of the estimated 2.5 million adults with the disorder, only about 500,000 received medication. The researchers also found treatment disparities. Black patients, women, people outside of major metro areas and unemployed people were significantly less likely to be prescribed the medicine. “It perpetuates opioid use disorder, prolongs the overdose crisis, and exacerbates health disparities in communities across the country,” said NIDA Director Nora Volkow in announcing the findings. Even so: People with severe opioid use disorder and those who used telehealth were more likely to get treatment.   Follow us on Twitter Carmen Paun @carmenpaun Daniel Payne @_daniel_payne Ruth Reader @RuthReader Erin Schumaker @erinlschumaker Evan Peng @thepngfile   Follow us

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