United States Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado today called on the leaders of prominent technology and artificial intelligence (AI) companies, including Meta, Alphabet, Microsoft, Twitter, TikTok and OpenAI, to implement proactive strategies to combat the proliferation of misleading content generated by AI. .

Bennet stressed the need to identify and label AI-generated content, highlighting the potential risks associated with the uninhibited spread of misinformation. He stated: “Disinformation and online misinformation are not new. But the sophistication and scale of these tools have rapidly evolved and outpaced our existing safeguards.”

The Senator pointed to several instances where AI-generated content caused market upheaval and political unrest. He also cited OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, where Altman identified the potential for AI to spread disinformation as a serious concern.

Bennet acknowledged the initial steps technology companies were taking to identify and label AI-generated content. However, he stressed that these measures are voluntary and can be easily circumvented. He proposed a framework for tagging AI-generated content and asked companies to provide their identification and watermarking policies and standards.

The senator concluded: “Continued inaction endangers our democracy. Generative AI can support new creative endeavors and produce amazing content, but these benefits cannot come at the cost of corrupting our shared reality.”

Bennet has been a strong advocate for digital regulation, online safety measures for young people, and enhanced protections for emerging technologies. He recently introduced the Digital Platforms Commission Act, the first legislation in Congress to create a federal agency dedicated to overseeing big tech companies and protecting consumers.

This move by Senator Bennet underscores the growing concern about the misuse of AI technology and the urgent need for regulatory action to ensure its responsible use. It remains to be seen how the tech giants will respond to this call to action.