Who?
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) — Chair, Senate Commerce Committee
LISTEN: Laslo & Cruz
Ask a Pol asks:
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) — now America’s Secretary of State — came out of the AI forum just ahead of you and he’s worried about putting constraints on American generative AI, because those regulations wouldn't apply to China and others. Is that still your thinking?
Key Cruz:
“I think if the Democrats push through restrictions on innovation and AI it would be disastrous for America,” Sen. Ted Cruz exclusively told Ask a Pol founder Matt Laslo upon exiting a classified, all-Senate AI national security forum in 2023.
ICYMI — Laslo first sold this interview to WIRED magazine
ICYMI — Top Senate Commerce Dem accuses Cruz of undermining states’ AI rights
Caught our ear:
“Interesting,” Cruz told us. “Interesting.”
Below find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol’s exclusive interviews with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), slightly edited for clarity.
TRANSCRIPT: Sen. Ted Cruz (7-11-2023)
SCENE: Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo greets Sen. Ted Cruz after he exits an all-Senate AI forum hosted by then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and a bipartisan group of senators during the 118th Congress (2023-24).
Matt Laslo: “Hey, how are you Sen. Cruz?”
Ted Cruz: “Good.”
ML: “How’d that hearing go — the briefing?”
TC: “Interesting.”
ML: “Scary?”*
*Cruz had just left the 2nd all-Senate AI forum, which was classified because it focused on potential defense and national security implications of generative AI. Senators were briefed by Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines and Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, among others.
TC: “Interesting. There are lots of potential threats from AI. There lots of potential opportunities from AI. I think we need to be straightforward and direct in dealing with both.”
ML: “Rubio came out saying he's worried about putting constraints on the US, because they wouldn't apply to China and others. Is that still kind of your [position]?”
ICYMI — Cruz & Secretary of State Marco Rubio agree
Marco Rubio calls for unregulated AI marketplace
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) is potentially open to supporting regulations on how the federal government uses AI, but he’s opposed to Congress regulating Silicon Valley firms who sell Americans private data like it’s a …
TC: “I think if the Democrats push through restrictions on innovation and AI…”
An elevator arrives for Cruz.
TC: “…it would be disastrous for America.”
Cruz enters elevator.
ML: “Preciate ya.”
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