R-Wyo. Sen. Cynthia Ramis, of Thursday, introduced legislation that protects artificial intelligence developers from a series of civil liability cases if they meet certain disclosure requirements.
The Lummis bill, a responsible innovation and safe expertise law, seeks to clarify doctors, lawyers, financial advisors, engineers and other experts, as long as AI developers expose the mechanisms of the system, other experts who use AI programs in decision-making.
“This law does not create blanket immunity for AI. In fact, AI developers need to publish model specifications, allowing experts to make informed decisions about the AI tools they choose to utilize.” “It also means that licensed experts are responsible for the advice and decisions they ultimately make. This is a smart policy in the digital age where innovation is protected, transparency is demanded, and experts and their clients are the first to place.”
Lummis' office touted the bill as the first part of federal law that provides clear guidelines for AI liability in a professional context. This measure does not control lies about other AI elements, such as self-driving cars, and does not provide immunity if AI developers recklessly or intentionally commit fraud.
“AI is embedded in specialized tools that transform industries, such as medicine, law, engineering, and finance, and shape important decisions,” her office said in the release. “However, the outdated rules of liability discourage developers from innovations that put developers at unlimited legal risks, even when trained professionals use these tools.”
If AI is used in sensitive medical, legal or financial situations, exactly who is responsible is in the form of a bit grey area, with some states trying to establish their own standards.
The “one big beautiful bill” that has moved forward through Congress and passed “one big beautiful bill” supported by President Donald Trump, includes a provision that prohibits states from enacting AI regulations for 10 years. Senate Republicans last week proposed changing the regulations instead of blocking federal funds for broadband projects to states regulating AI.
Both Democrats and Republican officials have criticised efforts to ban state-level regulations over the next decade, but AI executives argue that changes in state law will curb industry growth if the US is in a tough competition from a country like China.
