The US Senate has authorized members to use three AI chatbots for official business, the New York Times reported. The publication cites a memo by the Senate Sergeant at Arms’ chief information officer, who oversees computers and security in the chamber, saying aides could use OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, or Microsoft Copilot, which are already integrated into the Senate platform. The co-pilot will be able to “assist in the Senate’s day-to-day operations, including drafting and editing documents, summarizing information, preparing talking points and briefing materials, and conducting research and analysis,” the memo said. “…data shared on Copilot Chat remains within the secure Microsoft 365 Government environment and is protected by the same controls that protect other Senate data,” the memo later added.It remains unclear how widely AI chatbots are used in the US Senate. The NYT reports that Senate offices and committees operate largely independently, with individual senators and committee leaders setting their own internal rules. The Senate has also not issued official guidelines on the use of AI.
Questions remain about the use of AI for sensitive information
This raises questions about how staff working with sensitive and confidential information are expected to use AI tools. The NYT report said committee aides who handle classified information follow strict procedures.Under the House policy adopted in September 2024, AI tools can generally be used for tasks that do not involve sensitive information, are intended for internal use, and are not part of major decision-making. Administrators must approve the use of AI for more complex tasks, such as drafting letters to voters or preparing talking points for legislators.The policy also prohibits the use of AI to create deepfake content and prohibits the input of voters’ personal information when processing cases.The Senate’s policy similarly advises staff not to enter personally identifiable information or details related to physical security into AI tools, according to a review by POPVOX.
