Text SIGN PKZFZA to 50409 — The inclusion of a sweeping provision to ban all state and local regulation of Al systems for a decade is an egregious overreach that must be removed from the spending bill. This anti- democratic measure would strip away the ability of states to protect their citizens from the unchecked proliferation of powerful and potentially harmful Al technologies. The provision's broad definition of Al systems encompasses everything from generative Al tools to automated decision-making systems.   This provision would nullify vital existing and proposed state laws aimed at safeguarding the public interest. For instance, it would render unenforceable California's new requirement for healthcare providers to disclose their use of Al for patient communication, as well as New York's law mandating bias audits for Al hiring tools. It would halt the implementation of California's upcoming rules for documenting Al training data, designed to promote transparency.   Allowing this provision to stand would grant Big Tech companies like OpenAl, Google, and Microsoft free rein to deploy Al systems unconstrained by reasonable oversight. It prioritizes the profits of trillion-dollar corporations and the whims of billionaire tech moguls over the safety, privacy, and democratic rights of the American people. Unregulated Al poses severe risks, from perpetuating harmful biases to enabling unprecedented misinformation and manipulation.   Congress should reject this blatant power grab by the tech industry's allies within the administration. Instead of catering to the insatiable greed of Big Tech, lawmakers must empower states to enact fair, ethical, and Constitutional legislation to govern the responsible development of Al in alignment with societal values. The public deserves accountability and protection, not an undemocratic corporate giveaway that endangers civil liberties.   Strike this anti-democratic provision from the bill.

(RNS) — 'In light of our church’s steadfast commitment to racial justice and reconciliation and our historic ties with the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, we are not able to take this step,' the p...

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