House lawmakers said artificial intelligence and machine learning have a high level of potential to solve scientific problems and improve human life. During a joint hearing Thursday between the Energy and the Research and Technology subcommittees, House Science Committee Chairman Lamar Smith, R-Texas, listed some notable AI efforts: the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory are experimenting with machine learning-based approaches; Argonne National Laboratory researchers are creating a 3D map of human brain neurons; and Carnegie Mellon University’s NextManufacturing Center is combining 3D printing and machine learning for monitoring “the quality of manufactured components in real-time.” Energy Subcommittee Chairman Randy Weber, R-Texas, cited Rice University in his district, where researchers are using machine learning to address geological science. Weber cited the Department of Energy’s goal of fielding exascale computing systems capable of a great many calculations per second by 2021. “With the immense potential for machine learning technologies to answer fundamental scientific questions … it’s clear we should prioritize this research,” Weber said. Research and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Barbara Comstock, R-Va., discussed DOE’s joint effort with the Department of Veterans Affairs, the MVP-Champion program. The program seeks to use advanced computing and machine learning to analyze health records for more than 20 million veterans. “The potential for AI to help humans and further scientific discoveries is immense,” Comstock said. Argonne National Laboratory researcher Bobby Kasthuri told the committee that advanced computing has the potential to transform mental illness and disease treatment, revolutionize computers and algorithms and bolster artificial intelligence capabilities and national and economic security. Carnegie Mellon University professor Anthony Rollett suggested U.S. government agencies be given the capability to support data storage systems, allowing data to be shipped on a “terabyte scale.”
Karl Herchenroeder
Karl Herchenroeder, Associate Editor, is a technology policy journalist for publications including Communications Daily. Born in Rockville, Maryland, he joined the Warren Communications News staff in 2018. He began his journalism career in 2012 at the Aspen Times in Aspen, Colorado, where he covered city government. After that, he covered the nuclear industry for ExchangeMonitor in Washington. You can follow Herchenroeder on Twitter: @karlherk
The tech industry’s lack of disclosure to the federal government about computer processor design flaws was “baffling” and “inexcusable,” said Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Bill Nelson, D-Fla., Wednesday during a hearing on Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities (see 1807100057). He told us later that Intel’s absence gives him little confidence industry will alert the government in a “timely fashion” on future vulnerabilities.
Senate Commerce Committee members Wednesday will weigh two newly discovered computer processor design flaws, one of which a researcher described as “probably one of the worst CPU [central processing unit] bugs ever found” (see 1807060015 and 1801260009).“I don’t think there are any solutions right now for what we’re going to be talking about,” Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., told us when asked about Wednesday’s hearing on Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities. “Hopefully, we’ll come up with some solutions. ... Maybe some of the professors can come up with something.”
Language the Senate Judiciary Committee included in its version of the Music Modernization Act (S-2334) (see 1806280062, 1806110051 and 1806080034) ensures DOJ would have proper oversight if the department were to try to eliminate the ASCAP and BMI consent decrees, said representatives from the MIC Coalition. But a music industry attorney accused Congress of catering to the coalition, pitting wealthy companies against songwriters.
With states moving to collect online sales taxes after the Supreme Court’s Wayfair decision (see 1806210067), Congress will explore collection limitations (see 1806280047), given business implications, lawmakers and observers told us. Sens Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., wrote last week to ask the Small Business Administration help businesses cope with the decision. SBA "has begun to review the ruling and will do so by engaging small businesses and stakeholders, including members of Congress," a spokesperson said.
A group of Senate Democrats is preparing a letter to the Small Business Administration asking it to help small companies cope with the Supreme Court’s recent South Dakota v. Wayfair (see 1806210067), Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., told us Thursday. Shaheen joined Sens. Jon Tester, D-Mont.; Ron Wyden, D-Ore.; Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.; and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) in introducing a resolution opposing the court decision and the Marketplace Fairness Act. Shaheen said the group planned to have sent the letter Thursday. It’s unclear how states are going to respond, she said, so Congress needs to let things play out initially. That way, lawmakers can decide if Congress should provide some parameters “for what the court decision might mean,” said Shaheen. “I’m concerned about anything that would require small businesses, particularly in states like New Hampshire that have no sales tax, to collect taxes for tens of thousands of localities across the country."
Experts agreed with Rep. Randy Weber, R-Texas, Tuesday that the U.S. would be in a “very bad spot” if American artificial intelligence competitiveness lagged behind China, the EU and others, during a Research and Technology Subcommittee hearing. House Science, Space and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith, R-Texas, said China is investing $7 billion in AI through 2030 and $10 billion in quantum research. The EU is planning a $24 billion public-private investment through 2020, he said. DOD’s “unclassified investment in AI was only $600 million in 2016, while federal spending on quantum totals about $250 million a year,” he said.
Recent state enforcement activity for digital advertising transparency means Congress could potentially pass S-1989, the Honest Ads Act (see 1805080054) this year, said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. It’s “fascinating” Google announced last week it won’t run political ads in Washington state in response to a lawsuit from Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, said the Senate Antitrust Subcommittee ranking member at Tuesday's Open Markets Institute (OMI) event.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wasn't forthcoming enough when he testified before Congress in April (see 1804100054 and 1804110065), given new revelations about the platform’s data practices (see 1806040055), lawmakers told us. The testimony “might have been technically correct, but it was not comprehensive," said Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va. "I would hope that they would realize more transparency is better, and that’s not been their approach so far."
NTIA will call a meeting with stakeholders in early July to discuss implementing recommendations in a report to the president on botnets (see 1805300065), said Deputy Associate Administrator Evelyn Remaley Thursday. The next step is to develop a “prioritized road map,” with the purpose of increasing the resiliency of the internet and communications landscape against distributed threats. That's due within 120 days of the report’s approval and will involve coordination among the departments of Commerce and Homeland Security and industry, civil society and international partners.