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USA Today
a day ago
- Business
- USA Today
Senate Republicans propose alternative to scale back AI provision in Trump bill
Senate Republicans propose alternative to scale back AI provision in Trump bill Show Caption Hide Caption Hakeem Jeffries backs Elon Musk's call to 'kill' Trump's tax bill House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries backed Elon Musk's call to "kill the bill", saying Trump's tax plan will harm Americans. WASHINGTON - Senate Republicans modified language around a controversial artificial intelligence provision in President Donald Trump's sweeping tax and domestic policy bill after it prompted backlash from both Democrats and Republicans. AI has long been a subject of controversy due to national security and child safety risks posed by the technology, including the rise of deepfakes, misinformation and scams. The Trump administration's stance on AI has largely aligned with that of companies, arguing that regulation would stymie innovation. But the provision in the bill has been a point of contention among lawmakers as many contend that AI technology is still new and needs to be under state regulation. The provision in the House bill passed by the lower chamber on May 22 would have prohibited states from enforcing any law or regulation 'limiting, restricting, or otherwise regulating" AI models, AI systems or automated decision systems affecting trade, transportation or traffic for a ten year period. Republicans on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, however, released their draft text of Trump's bill on June 5 proposing to tie the ban to federal funding. States who comply with the decade-long AI regulation freeze can receive grant money from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program. The program is a $42.45 million initiative to expand high-speed Internet access nationwide, according to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The Senate proposal says that grantees can use the funds to 'construct and deploy infrastructure' regarding AI systems. The Senate proposal is a large step away from the original provision, which lawmakers across the aisle raised concerns about. Conservative firebrand Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said she wouldn't have voted for the House bill if she'd known about it. 'We have no idea what AI will be capable of in the next 10 years and giving it free rein and tying states hands is potentially dangerous,' she wrote in a tweet on June 3. California Democrat Rep. Ted Lieu, vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus, said at a presser on June 4: 'I agree with Marjorie Taylor Greene once every hundred years. This is that time.' Texas Rep. Greg Casar, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, argued that 'writing big tech companies a blank check to exploit AI however they want - that's contrary to what the vast majority of American people want.' Though House Freedom Caucus member Texas Rep. Chip Roy voted in favor of the bill, he echoed similar sentiments, telling reporters that governors should be able to 'protect their own constituencies, particularly on a technology that is very new and fluid.' It still remains to be seen whether the proposal will be included in the final version of the Senate bill before it is voted on by lawmakers. Trump and GOP leaders have set a self-imposed deadline of July 4 to try to get the tax bill through both chambers of Congress and to the president's desk for signature into law.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
A CEO's predictions: What to expect for the U.S. wireless industry in 2025
It's 2025. Didn't the movies of the 1980s predict we were all supposed to have flying cars and personal robot butlers by now? Admittedly, my 2025 wireless predictions are less fun than that, but if they come to fruition, our industry ― and in turn Oklahomans who use wireless connectivity every day ― will be in a much better place. Here are my three wireless industry predictions for 2025. More: Oklahoma Broadband Office set to deliver an $750 million in infrastructure grants | Opinion I am proud to work in an industry that invests billions of dollars ― $30 billion in 2023 alone ― to provide essential connectivity to communities across the U.S. But there are some areas that are better connected than others, and in 2025, I predict unprecedented investment at both the state and federal levels to ensure that even the most rural areas of the country get connected. Some of this will come from big-ticket funding solutions like the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, or the Federal Communications Commission's 5G Fund for America. But state governments will also play an important role in helping their residents get reliable connectivity. We've seen state-led funding programs be highly successful in providing affordable high-speed broadband in hard-to-reach areas and do so quickly and efficiently. As data usage continues to increase, this funding will be extremely important because often market forces alone aren't sufficient to drive the investment necessary to connect rural America. Rural areas will need more cell towers, more spectrum and more fiber. Even satellite connectivity will have a place, and I predict increased investment to integrate multiple connectivity mechanisms to improve coverage and close the digital divide. Is this me predicting it into existence? Perhaps, but frankly, it needs to happen. The FCC hasn't had authority to hold spectrum auctions since early 2023, and this has held the U.S. wireless industry back from investing in infrastructure, enhancing the customer experience and ensuring that the U.S. remains technologically competitive. We know customers will continue to use more and more data ― Americans used more than 100 trillion MB of data in 2023, nearly double the amount used just two years ago. And if towers and cell sites are the physical backbone necessary to support this growth, spectrum is the virtual backbone. We need spectrum to fuel the next big technology innovations, and without it, we give our global competitors ― particularly China ― an advantage. Wireless technology is essential to economic growth and national security, and the longer this lapse in spectrum authority continues, the greater the risk is to U.S. leadership in a variety of industries. I predict that Congress will act to reauthorize the FCC's auction authority and direct the agency to free up spectrum ― particularly mid-band spectrum ― to support the evolving needs of our customers and communities. The reason that infrastructure investment and spectrum authority are so important is because I predict a heightened focus on wireless leadership from other countries in 2025, increasing the intense global competition that already exists today. This will be especially notable in China. China is investing aggressively in the infrastructure, spectrum and technology standards required to support next-generation wireless networks ― along with investments in semi-conductors and AI ― because these capabilities are the foundation of the "soft" power that comes with innovation and technology leadership. This "soft" power leadership in technology complements the "hard" power of military might, and I expect considerable focus on both. The U.S. will need to be prepared to meet this challenge, which will require close alignment between government and industry. Laurent 'LT' Therivel is CEO of UScellular. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Expect more rural wireless development in 2025 | Opinion
