Lawmakers in 2024 will maintain their commitment to protecting consumer privacy and expanding access to high-speed internet. But a new concern—artificial intelligence—is demanding their attention.
With technology often racing ahead of lawmakers’ ability to respond, legislatures are grappling with the implications—positive and negative—of this powerful new technology.
NCSL Forecast ’24
This special report from State Legislatures News covers the topics NCSL’s policy experts anticipate will occupy state lawmakers’ time in 2024 legislative sessions. Read the full report here.
Hot Topic: Making Sense of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence—the development of computer systems to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as learning and decision-making—has the potential to spur innovation and transform industry and government. As the technology advances, more products and services are coming onto the market, with companies using AI to run home security systems, smoke alarms and other appliances, and to help the elderly to stay in their homes longer. The benefits of AI are apparent in emerging health care technologies, self-driving cars, digital assistants and many other areas of daily life.
But this powerful technology is not without risks. National security concerns have arisen as countries such as China, Russia and North Korea are increasing investments in AI, threatening our critical cybernetworks and making AI-controlled warfare, with little to no human decision-making, a sobering possibility.
Another matter is the increasing use of generative AI technology, such as Google Bard and ChatGPT, which uses algorithms to create new audio, video, photographs, text and other content. The technology raises issues of accuracy and bias in generated educational content, the use of disinformation and misinformation, copyright and intellectual property infringement, and the vulnerability of employment and financial services, to name but a few. Few technologies have been as widely or quickly adopted as generative AI without a full understanding of the risks.
ACTION: Fifteen states and Puerto Rico adopted resolutions or enacted legislation last year creating task forces or commissions to study and inventory state government use of AI.
Hot Topic: Protecting Consumer Privacy
State legislatures have long been involved in regulating the security of various types of information and of specific industry sectors. But the internet and new technologies continually raise new questions about consumer privacy, and lawmakers by protecting Social Security numbers and student, medical and financial information.
ACTION: At least 40 states and Puerto Rico introduced or considered at least 350 consumer privacy bills in 2023.
Comprehensive (also called omnibus) consumer privacy legislation was the most common type of bill being considered—more than 60 bills in at least 25 states. These measures generally regulate the collection, use and disclosure of personal information by businesses and provide an express set of consumer rights for collected data, such as the right to access, correct and delete personal information gathered by businesses. In 2023, eight states enacted comprehensive legislation, bringing the number of states with such laws to 13: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Montana, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.
Federal legislation, if enacted, may affect existing state laws and states’ ability to enforce privacy protections.
Other common consumer privacy measures concern the collection of data from consumers by commercial entities, online services or commercial websites, including bills related to children’s privacy on the internet, direct-to-consumer genetic testing, health data privacy, and the regulation of internet service providers and information/data brokers.
Hot Topic: Deploying Broadband
With roughly 9 in 10 American adults using the internet, many consider it to be a necessity of modern life. Because access to the internet is unavailable or inadequate in parts of the country, states and the federal government are focusing on deploying broadband—the technologies that allow internet data to be reliably transmitted at high speeds—as universally as possible.
The Biden administration’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program provides $42.5 billion to help states and territories plan and deploy high-speed internet. As of October, at least 41 eligible entities had publicly shared their five-year BEAD plans with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which oversees the program. Funding allocations for the states, Washington, D.C., and the territories, as well as the five-year plans, can be viewed at internetforall.gov.
ACTION: In the 2023 legislative session, at least 49 states or territories have pending or enacted legislation addressing broadband funding, governance authorities such as state broadband offices and commissions, educational institutions, infrastructure, municipal-run broadband networks, digital equity, rural and underserved communities, and taxes.
Wanachama wa Bunge la Marekani wamependekeza kuimarisha sheria za ulinzi wa faragha na kupanua upatikanaji wa mtandao wa kasi. Lakini wasiwasi mpya - akili bandia - inahitaji uangalifu wao. Kwa kuwa teknolojia mara nyingi hupita uwezo wa wabunge wa kujibu, mabaraza ya sheria yanashindana na athari "zuri na hasi" za teknolojia hii mpya yenye nguvu. NCSL Forecast 24 - Ripoti hii maalum kutoka kwa Habari za Bunge la Jimbo inashughulikia mada ambazo wataalam wa sera ya NCSL wanatarajia watachukua wakati wa wabunge wa jimbo katika vikao vya sheria vya 2024. Soma ripoti nzima hapa. Ujasusi bandia - maendeleo ya mifumo ya kompyuta kufanya kazi ambayo kawaida inahitaji akili ya binadamu, kama vile kujifunza na kufanya maamuzi - ina uwezo wa kuchochea ubunifu na kubadilisha sekta na serikali. Kwa sababu ya maendeleo ya teknolojia, bidhaa na huduma zaidi zinakuja sokoni, na makampuni yanatumia AI kuendesha mifumo ya usalama wa nyumbani, kengele za moshi na vifaa vingine, na kusaidia wazee kukaa nyumbani kwao kwa muda mrefu. Faida za AI zinaonekana katika teknolojia za huduma za afya zinazojitokeza, magari ya kujiongoza, wasaidizi wa dijiti na maeneo mengine mengi ya maisha ya kila siku. Lakini teknolojia hiyo yenye nguvu ina hatari zake. "Hata hivyo, wasiwasi wa usalama wa kitaifa umeibuka wakati nchi kama vile China, Urusi na Korea Kaskazini zinaongeza uwekezaji katika AI, zikitishia mitandao yetu muhimu ya mtandao na kufanya vita vinavyoongozwa na AI, na hakuna maamuzi ya binadamu, uwezekano wa ""kuchunguza.""" "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, teknolojia ya ""generative AI"" kama vile Google Bard na ChatGPT, ambayo hutumia algorithms kuunda sauti mpya, video, picha, maandishi na maudhui mengine, inaongezeka." Teknolojia hiyo inaibua masuala ya usahihi na upendeleo katika maudhui ya elimu, matumizi ya habari zisizo sahihi na habari zisizo sahihi, ukiukaji wa haki za uchapaji na mali ya akili, na udhaifu wa ajira na huduma za kifedha, kwa jina tu. Teknolojia chache zimepitishwa kwa wingi au haraka kama AI ya kizazi bila uelewa kamili wa hatari. Mkutano huo ulifanyika katika jimbo la Puerto Rico na jimbo la Puerto Rico, ambapo serikali za jimbo zilitoa maazimio ya kuanzisha vikosi vya kazi ili kuchunguza na kuorodhesha matumizi ya AI. Usalama wa watumiaji: Sheria za serikali zimekuwa zikishiriki kwa muda mrefu katika kudhibiti usalama wa aina mbalimbali za habari na sekta maalum za viwanda. Lakini mtandao na teknolojia mpya daima kuzalisha maswali mapya kuhusu faragha ya watumiaji na wabunge kwa kulinda nambari za usalama wa kijamii na wanafunzi, matibabu na taarifa za kifedha. Kwa mujibu wa sheria za Marekani, Puerto Rico na majimbo mengine 40 yamepitisha au kujadili angalau sheria 350 za ulinzi wa faragha za watumiaji mwaka 2023. Sheria ya faragha ya watumiaji (au omnibus) ilikuwa aina ya kawaida ya muswada unaochukuliwa - zaidi ya muswada 60 katika angalau majimbo 25. Hizi hatua kwa ujumla kudhibiti mkusanyiko, matumizi na ufunuo wa habari za kibinafsi na biashara na kutoa seti ya wazi ya haki za watumiaji kwa data zilizokusanywa, kama vile haki ya kupata, kurekebisha na kufuta habari za kibinafsi zilizokusanywa na biashara. Katika mwaka wa 2023, majimbo manane yalianzisha sheria kamili, na kuongeza idadi ya majimbo yenye sheria kama hizo hadi 13, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Montana, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, na Virginia. Sheria ya shirikisho, ikiwa itaanzishwa, inaweza kuathiri sheria zilizopo za jimbo na uwezo wa majimbo kutekeleza ulinzi wa faragha. Hatua nyingine za kawaida za faragha ya watumiaji zinahusu ukusanyaji wa data kutoka kwa watumiaji na vyombo vya kibiashara, huduma za mtandaoni au tovuti za kibiashara, ikiwa ni pamoja na muswada unaohusiana na faragha ya watoto kwenye mtandao, upimaji wa maumbile wa moja kwa moja kwa watumiaji, faragha ya data ya afya, na udhibiti wa watoa huduma za mtandao na wakala wa habari. "Kama ""mwisho wa muda mrefu"" kwa watumiaji wa mtandao, karibu 9 katika 10 ya watu wazima wa Marekani hutumia mtandao, wengi huona kuwa ni lazima ya maisha ya kisasa." Kwa sababu upatikanaji wa mtandao haupatikani au hautoshi katika sehemu za nchi, majimbo na serikali ya shirikisho zinazingatia kupeleka mtandao wa upana - teknolojia ambazo huruhusu data ya mtandao kupitishwa kwa kuaminika kwa kasi ya juu - ulimwenguni kote iwezekanavyo. Mpango wa Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) wa utawala wa Biden utatoa dola bilioni 42.5 kusaidia majimbo na maeneo kupanga na kupeleka mtandao wa kasi. Tangu Oktoba, angalau mashirika 41 ya haki ya kushiriki mipango yao ya miaka mitano ya BEAD na Usimamizi wa Taifa wa Mawasiliano na Habari, ambao unasimamia programu hiyo. Mipango ya fedha kwa majimbo, Washington, D.C., na maeneo, pamoja na mipango ya miaka mitano, inaweza kutazamwa kwenye internetforall.gov. Katika kipindi cha 2023, angalau majimbo 49 au maeneo ya Marekani yamekuwa na sheria zinazosubiri au zilizopitishwa zinazohusu ufadhili wa mtandao wa upana, mamlaka za utawala kama vile ofisi za mtandao wa upana wa jimbo na tume, taasisi za elimu, miundombinu, mitandao ya mtandao wa upana inayodhibitiwa na manispaa, usawa wa dijiti, jamii za vijijini na zisizo na huduma, na kodi.