U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich has been recognized as an influencer in the field of artificial intelligence by Time magazine, alongside anti-deepfake activist Francesca Mani, actress Scarlett Johansson, Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai and others.
“I’m honored to be listed as one of Time’s 100 most influential leaders in AI,” Heinrich said Monday. “As AI continues to rapidly evolve, it is absolutely vital that Congress steps in to ensure AI comes as a benefit to the American people, and not a threat. Done right, we can unlock AI innovation that will deliver major scientific and medical advancements, including at places like our national labs here in New Mexico, while laying out the guardrails necessary to mitigate the risks of AI. I am committed to that important work.”
The publication, in naming Heinrich to its list of the 100 Most Influential People in AI, noted that he started a congressional caucus on the subject in 2019, and that he was a key member of a Senate workgroup that created a recommended roadmap for AI policy earlier this year.
It also notes that Heinrich has co-authored several AI-related bills.
“Those bills are indicative of Heinrich’s approach as neither an AI doomer nor an accelerationist of the tech,” the article states. “He deeply believes in AI’s potential to push science and medicine forward and wants the American AI industry to continue apace, but also wants … strong regulatory protections.”
Heinrich was quoted as saying it would be unwise to wait to implement guardrails for AI the way regulators did with the internet and social media.
“This is very fast-moving technology, and the opportunities for great things are enormous, but the opportunities for abuse are also substantial,” he said.