Chairman Joyce Delivers Opening Statement at Subcommittee on O&I Hearing on AI Chatbots

The subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will now come to order. The chair now recognizes himself for five minutes for an opening statement. Good afternoon and welcome to today's hearing entitled Innovation with Integrity: Examining the Risks and Benefits of AI Chatbots. Generative AI chat bots are computer programs powered by large language models that simulate human conversation with a user. AI chatbots are increasingly integrated into the devices that we all use on a daily basis. These include search engines, social media platforms, and even some vehicle onboard software systems. Chat bots have become increasingly accessible and easy to use. The user simply enters a prompt and the chatbot answers almost instantaneously with humanlike responses with advanced processing capabilities. Chat bots can summarize complex concepts, streamline customer content, and generate content on demand beyond their practical research and business uses. Chat bots are also utilized for entertainment, for therapy, for companionship by both adults and young people. With continual prompts, the user can build a dialogue with a chatbot that can feel like a real interpersonal relationship through natural language processing. Chatbots are designed to effectively engage with users in a human-like way that can instill a sense of comfort and companion. companionship with the user. Americans are increasingly engaging with chatbots for mental health support. And for some, turning to a chatbot for support can be helpful. But turning to this in limited circumstances when they have nowhere else to go. However, without the proper safeguards in place, these chatbot relationships can often turn to be disastrous. Users can develop a false sense of anonymity with the chat bots and then they'll share personal or sensitive information that is not protected by confidentiality obligations. Chat bots then retain retain data to enhance their stored information which improves the quality of their interactions with the users. This data is also used to train the chatbox base model to improve the accuracy of responses across the platform. AI chatbots have been the subject of data breaches that expose this retained data. And if conversation data falls into the wrong hands, the user's sensitive personal information can be obtained by malicious actors. Chatbots are designed to maximize engagement with users. So as a result, the chat bot the chat bots have been found to affirm harmful and sometimes illogical beliefs providing vulnerable users with perceived support for unhealthy behaviors such as self harm, eating disorders, and suicide. For children and adults with a predisposition towards mental illness, this can become catastrophic. Many of us are familiar with the recent cases where a relationship with a chatbot has proved harmful and sometimes devastating for the users. Since AI chatbots emerged, there have been cases of adults and teens engaging in self harm or tragically committing suicide after long-term relationships with chatpox that encouraged or affirm suicidal ideiation. Two months ago, the FTC launched an inquiry to understand what steps seven major AI chatbot companies are taking to protect children and teens from harm. And I am hopeful that this inquiry will shed light on the ways that these technologies can be improved to keep all kids safe. My goal for today's hearing is to have a balanced, honest conversation about the potential benefits and harms that AI chat box pose to Americans. It is important that we consider the implication of these technologies as we balance the benefits of AI innovation with protecting the most vulnerable among us. Thank you to the witnesses for being here today and I look forward to the hearing from all of you on this important topic. I now recognize the ranking member of the subcommittee, Miss Clark, for her opening statement.