House lawmakers to shine light on how AI can make Congress ‘more efficient’

A top House Republican lawmaker is eyeing the opportunities and risks of integrating artificial intelligence (AI) technology into the day-to-day operations of the U.S. Congress.

‘I think of this as a tool in a toolkit that’s made Congress more efficient and more responsive. And with any new technology, there are great benefits and there are risks. And we’re managing between both of those,’ House Committee on Administration Chairman Bryan Steil, R-Wis., told Fox News Digital.

‘Our hearing is going to give us that opportunity to both demonstrate that in a transparent way to the American public, but also to gain insights and information about how not only Congress, but all legislative branch entities such as the Library of Congress or [Government Accountability Office] can be utilizing AI to do the same,’ he said.

The hearing next week is called ‘Artificial Intelligence (AI): Innovations within the Legislative Branch.’ In addition to how it affects Congress, the hearing will also look into how AI is being used at the Library of Congress and the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

Steil’s committee has been releasing a series of monthly reports, led by Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., and her subcommittee on modernization, going back to September on AI integration strategy.

Their most recent report from December listed current cases in which the House of Representatives uses AI, which includes ‘AI-assisted chatbots and other AI automations or support for Helpdesk,’ as well as using AI to help draft constituent correspondence, emails, memos and briefing notes. 

AI is also used for internal research by House staffers and to make grammatical corrections in first drafts of bills and speeches, according to the report.

Steil told Fox News Digital he also sees opportunities in using AI to streamline the GAO’s auditing process and further help lawmakers be more effective in constituent services.

‘AI has significant opportunities on our ability to audit the spending of taxpayer dollars and the efficiency in that,’ he said. ‘You’ll see it in other areas as well, right? I mean, you’ll see it in what might be more mundane but very [Capitol Hill] focused about how all members can respond to their constituents, and the sifting of constituent requests.’

‘It can be important as an individual who’s trying to navigate through a federal agency in short order.’

Steil said the ‘broader goal’ of the hearing, however, is ‘how do you work to make your government, and in particular Congress, more efficient leveraging this technology?’

The hearing on AI by the House Administration Committee is set to take place Tuesday at 10 a.m.