73-year-old US congressman enrolls in college because he wants to understand AI

Don Beyer is no ordinary student at George Mason University. He is the top AI policymaker in the US Congress, 73 years old, and prefers to take notes in a notebook rather than a laptop.

The Virginia Democrat found AI fascinating and decided to enroll in computer science classes at George Mason University, starting with prerequisite courses that would lead to his master's degree in machine learning.

Congressman Don Beyer. Photo: AP

In an era when lawmakers and Supreme Court justices sometimes admit to not understanding emerging technologies, Mr. Beyer’s journey highlights a broader effort by members of Congress to educate themselves about AI.

AI is seen as a new technology that could change the world. It is the task of members of the US Congress to figure out how to regulate AI in a way that encourages its potential benefits while minimizing its worst risks. First, they must understand the nature of AI.

“I tend to be optimistic about AI,” Beyer told The Associated Press after a recent afternoon class on the campus of George Mason University. “We don’t know how life will change in five, 10, 20 years because of AI. … There are profound risks that we need to pay attention to.”

These risks include mass unemployment in industries rendered obsolete by AI; fake images, videos and audio being used for political disinformation or for fraud, sexual exploitation...

However, strict regulations on AI could hinder innovation and development of this technology, putting the US at a disadvantage as other countries seek to harness the power of AI.

To achieve balanced regulation, input is needed not only from tech companies but also from industry critics, as well as from the industries that AI could transform. It is important that lawmakers have a clear understanding of the technology.

Beyer said he had been fascinated with computers all his life. When AI emerged as a phenomenon, he wanted to learn more. Almost all of his classmates were decades younger than him and were not confused when they discovered that their classmate was a congressman, a member of the US House of Representatives.

Mr. Beyer’s sessions were productive. He learned about the evolution of AI and the challenges facing the field. The lessons helped him understand the challenges and possibilities of AI in improving cancer diagnosis and improving supply chain efficiency.

Beyer is also learning to code. “I find that learning to code, which is thinking algorithmically, is changing the way I think about a lot of other things like how to organize an office, how to do a part of the law,” Beyer says.

He also learned how a small mistake can have a big impact on code. “You make big mistakes, and then you make small stupid mistakes that take hours to find. And you realize that any technology is not perfect,” he said. “That drives a lot of the effort to combat the downside risks of AI.”

Beyer is a member of most of the House lawmakers' working groups on AI. He is vice chair of the Congressional Artificial Intelligence Caucus and a new AI working group created by the New Democracy Alliance.

He was also a member of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s AI working group. On the legislative front, he spearheaded a bill that would expand access to the powerful computing tools needed to develop AI.

While a computer science degree is not required, lawmakers must understand the implications of AI for the economy, defense, health care, education, personal privacy, and intellectual property, said Chris Pierson, CEO of cybersecurity firm BlackCloak. “AI is good or bad, depending on how it’s used,” Pierson said.

Hoai Phuong (according to AP, CNBC)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/nghi-si-73-tuoi-hoc-lai-dai-hoc-vi-muon-tim-hieu-ve-ai-post291492.html