A Smart Approach to Artificial Intelligence

A Smart Approach to Artificial Intelligence

Like many people, my first exposure to the idea of artificial intelligence (AI) came from science fiction films. These movies told of a nightmarish future where the machines would take control and put an end to human civilization. Fortunately, the reality of AI is quite different – but it does present both opportunities and challenges.

This summer and fall, I’ll be chairing a committee of specialists tasked with analyzing the potential impacts of AI. We’ll travel throughout the state to explore AI’s impacts on workforce, health care, law enforcement, government, consumer protection, ethics, and privacy. Most importantly, we’ll discuss how Wisconsin can avoid potential pitfalls on the path to making our state a leader in this emerging technology.

History teaches us that major societal changes often result not from government intervention, but from technological innovation. We already know that AI will have a profound impact on many facets of our lives. It’s already being put to work to combat the workforce shortage – one of the biggest problems facing our 21^st century economy – by streamlining operations, automating repetitive tasks, and enhancing workforce productivity. But these positive developments require looking at new training and upskilling methods that enable employers and employees to advance together. Here in Wisconsin, we’re blessed to be home to Waukesha County Technical College, which is setting the standard with its innovative AI offerings.

In healthcare, AI holds immense promise for improving patient outcomes and operational efficiencies. Machine learning algorithms can analyze vast amounts of medical data to diagnose diseases earlier and more accurately than human clinicians. AI-powered systems can also personalize treatment plans based on patient data, potentially revolutionizing medicine. Maintaining data privacy and avoiding security breaches will be critical, however.

AI technologies can also help combat crime and improve public safety – but the use of facial recognition and biometric systems brings up ethical and civil liberty concerns. We must meet the challenge of balancing the benefits of AI with safeguarding individual rights and freedoms.

To that end, I plan for this committee to wrestle with these issues and help set a course for how Wisconsin can win the future. Overregulation could lead us to fall behind and miss out on the promise of a new technology. That won’t be our answer. Instead, we’ll investigate the best guardrails to protect privacy and create guideposts to show future legislatures where to act – and where not to act. With the right approach, we can ensure that AI unlocks human potential without undermining the very things that make us human.