Emerging digital technologies—in particular artificial intelligence (AI)—are among the most consequential forces of the 21st century. They are transforming economies, challenging legal and political norms, and reconfiguring society. Governments attempting to navigate this era must adapt regulatory regimes, social safety nets, fiscal policies, taxation, and foreign affairs as digital technologies continue to reshape labor markets, business, the distribution of economic rewards, and the global balance of power.
Congressional staff play a key role in shaping and developing policy on critical technology areas such as AI, yet rapid advancements in AI make it challenging for many to keep up with the quickly evolving field. The Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI) designed this boot camp specifically for congressional staff to explore the latest in AI developments, equipping participants with the comprehensive knowledge needed to think critically about regulating and governing this emerging technology.
AI is not solely a technical matter, though it is easy for policy analysts and others to get lost in the technical details. Understanding the impact of AI on society is a multifaceted enterprise that requires expertise from computer science, economics, law, medicine, political science, psychology, and a host of other disciplines. To that end, the boot camp draws upon the knowledge of multidisciplinary AI experts in academia, as well as leaders from civil society and industry.
The bicameral, bipartisan Boot Camp consists of many sessions unpacking how to mitigate AI risk, understanding and regulating foundation models, and the impact of AI on healthcare, education, climate, and online harm. It also includes an interactive, three-hour National Security Council simulation surrounding the deployment of AI in a crisis situation. Each session will feature world-class scholars from Stanford University, leaders from Silicon Valley, and pioneers from civil society organizations. We hope all participants will leave the boot camp with the conceptual framework needed to address the emerging technology landscape today and better anticipate the challenges of tomorrow.
