On December 17, the bipartisan House AI Task Force, led by Representatives Jay Obernolte and Ted Lieu, along with a number of other technology policy leaders, released their long awaited report on AI.
The House Task Force Report on Artificial Intelligence provides in-depth analysis and recommendations on a range of policy issues related to AI, including the use of AI in government agencies, data privacy, research and development, civil rights, and more. The report is the culmination of nearly a year’s worth of research and discussions between the Task Force and a broad range of stakeholders, including Nik Marda of Mozilla, who provided his insights to the Task Force on the benefits and risks of open-source and closed-source models. We thank the members of the House AI Task Force and their staff for their diligent work in developing a robust report and for their willingness to consult a broad range of stakeholders from across industry, civil society, and government. We look forward to working with the Task Force on next steps, and we hope to see legislation advanced to tackle these important issues.
See Mozilla’s December 17, 2024 statement below:
Mozilla commends the House AI Task Force for their diligent work over the past year and welcomes their report detailing AI policy findings and recommendations for Congress. We were grateful for the opportunity to engage with the Task Force throughout this process, and to contribute our perspective on our key priorities, including open source, protecting people from AI-related harms, and Public AI. It’s encouraging to see these critical topics addressed in the final report.
In particular, Mozilla agrees with the Task Force findings that there is insufficient evidence to justify the restriction of open source models, and that today’s open AI models actually “encourage innovation and competition.” This finding echoes NTIA’s July 2024 report which acknowledged the benefits of open models to promote AI innovation. We’re also gratified to see the report address other vital issues like data privacy as it pertains to AI, including the use of Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs). We’re pleased with the continued emphasis on making foundational progress towards Public AI as well, including recommendations to monitor the current National AI Research Resource Pilot in preparation for potentially scaling the program, which Mozilla hopes to see expanded, and investing in AI-related R&D and education.
In large part to its great breadth and depth, the House AI Task Force report represents a much-needed step forward in the development of concrete AI policy legislation and will help inform the agenda for the next Congress. We look forward to continuing working with AI leaders to advance meaningful AI legislation that promotes accountability, innovation, and competition.