AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Texas lawmaker said he utilized an artificial intelligence tool to craft remarks Wednesday when he discussed a piece of legislation that would look further into the emerging technology’s influence in the state.
State Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake, had a chance to talk in support of House Bill 2060 during Wednesday afternoon’s hearing of the House state affairs committee. The legislation would create a new, seven-person advisory council tasked with evaluating AI products and services used by state government agencies.
When he got to the lectern, Capriglione shared with the committee members that ChatGPT, the AI system that can generate readable text on demand, wrote his prepared remarks.
“Artificial intelligence, or AI, is transforming our lives in many ways,” Capriglione said. “AI has the potential to solve problems that were previously unsolvable and create new opportunities for growth and innovation. AI can help us analyze vast amounts of data, detect patterns and make decisions in a fraction of the time it would take a human to do so. However, we must also acknowledge AI has potential risks. It can perpetuate biases and lead to unattended consequences that can harm in society if not properly evaluated. That’s why we need HB 2060.”
He said the council created by this proposal would monitor use of AI by state agencies, examine the need for a code of ethics for AI systems and recommend policies to protect Texans’ privacy.
“House Bill 2060 is a necessary step in ensuring that AI is used ethically and responsibly in our state,” Capriglione said.
He concluded “on a lighter note” by sharing a joke that ChatGPT crafted, which did not garner many laughs from the crowd in the House committee room.
“Why did the robot cross the road?” he asked the committee. “To get to the other motherboard.”
No one from the public offered any comment on Capriglione’s legislation during Wednesday’s meeting, and the committee left the bill as pending. It’s unclear whether any action will be taken at a later time.
