U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, participated as a guest speaker at The Washington Post Live event titled “Building America: Powering the AI Age” this week in Washington, D.C.
During his conversation with Dan Merica, co-anchor of The Washington Post’s “Early Brief” newsletter, Senator Budd addressed various issues concerning the future impact of artificial intelligence on American workers and industry.
Reflecting on his experience as a small business owner, Budd recounted: “I’m a small business owner, and I remember looking at the monthly financial statements, sharing them with the team … and you can see the look of panic on their eyes. And then they thought, well, is this the end of their job? Because now there are comments on the financial statements from one of the AI tools. And I was like, no, no, no. We’re going to do more with this team, rather than the same work with less people. So, I think we need to realize this is an opportunity, and more of an opportunity than a threat.”
Budd highlighted legislative efforts such as his PELL Act within the Working Families Tax Cut. He stated: “This goes back to my PELL Act in the Working Families Tax Cut. For American workers, the new skill is that of change and switching. Rather than massive job displacement, people can find new jobs by retooling and reskilling quickly.” He added that “The PELL Act allows Pell money for quick credentialing. [Businesses] may need somebody who just needs an eight-week course to get retooled and reconfigured for the workforce. [This] gives them the tools and flexibility that they need.”
Discussing international competition in technology development, Budd warned against falling behind global rivals: “We cannot afford to be behind in AI.” Referring specifically to China’s capacity for growth in energy infrastructure needed for AI advancement he said: “[China] is working at three to four times the population of the U.S. So, they will be adding more [power to their grid]. … We need to add about 85 gigawatts per year in order to keep pace with our demand.”
On energy production as it relates to both national competitiveness and environmental concerns Budd remarked: “Power is good. If we’re going to compete as a country, we need more energy. We’re going to run out. … If you’re going to produce energy, you want to do it here in the US, because we produce half the amount of pollution per unit of economic output than China would.”
He continued by referencing a discussion with Sam Altman about constraints facing technological progress: “It goes back to a conversation I had with Sam Altman… [where he] made the point that an electron, is an electron, is an electron. And if we are so constrained and protective and don’t build energy, it not only holds back AI, but also holds back manufacturing. It holds back technology. It holds back all sorts of production. I think that’s our main constraint right now when it comes to moving forward. So if we have more energy, I believe we’ll be safer, more secure, and more resilient.”
Budd concluded by emphasizing collaboration between humans and artificial intelligence: “I don’t worry about being replaced because humanity is going to be collaborating with AI. Let’s remember that AI exists inside of human ingenuity.”
