Press Releases

Attorney General William Tong

06/13/2023

Attorney General Tong Leads Multistate Coalition Calling on Federal Agency to Prioritize Transparent, Risk-Based Approach to AI Governance

(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong today led a bipartisan coalition of 22 other attorneys general urging the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to advance artificial intelligence governance polices that prioritize robust transparency, reliable testing and assessment requirements, and allow for government oversight and enforcement for high-risk uses.

“Artificial intelligence is being developed and deployed faster than our ability to regulate and understand, and that’s a danger to consumers everywhere. I’m leading a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general calling on the federal government to prioritize transparent, risk-based standards for artificial intelligence. At a minimum, any use of AI should be clearly disclosed—there should be zero confusion as to when and whether we are dealing with real people or AI. Some AI applications may be mundane and risk-free, but uses with the potential to impact our rights and liberties, deepfakes that manipulate information and public perception, and algorithms that result in decisions with little to no human interaction require the strongest possible oversight,” said Attorney General Tong.

In the letter, the attorneys general applaud the NTIA’s commitment to a rigorous and data-driven approach to developing AI governance policies. The attorneys general also recommend that the NTIA consider a risk-based approach that recognizes that some AI uses require greater oversight than others, such as when AI is developed or used to make decisions that result in legal or other significant effects on people.

Through transparency, careful evaluation of how AI is used, and effective enforcement, the attorneys general encourage the NTIA to develop a governance framework that leverages the public and private sectors and supports the responsible development, use, and deployment of AI systems to ensure such systems can develop in a trusted, fair, and technologically dynamic environment.

Attorneys General Phil Weiser of Colorado, Jason Miyares of Virginia, Jonathan Skrmetti of Tennessee, and William Tong of Connecticut are joined in submitting this letter by the attorneys general of Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Vermont.

Assistant Attorney General John Neumon and Michele Lucan, Chief of the Privacy Section assisted the Attorney General in this matter.

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