Artificial intelligence is increasingly the subject that gets congressional staff to leave Washington.
In 2023, the number of trips listing AI as a purpose of travel in trip disclosures, approximately 80 trips, was over triple the amount of such trips in 2022, 24 trips. This year is already outpacing 2023 at 89 trips detailing AI as a purpose of travel and further such trips on the horizon. "More than two dozen Capitol Hill staffers" were reported to be traveling to Stanford University's Congressional Boot Camp on AI next month.
Moreover, nearly $500,000 has been spent on privately financed congressional trips concerning artificial intelligence since the start of 2024, surpassing the amount spent on such travel in 2023 by over $350,000.
The number of organizations involved in funding travel concerning AI has also increased since 2022. All trips from 2022 were attributed to Stanford's inaugural AI Boot Camp. While some trips in 2023 were to Stanford's annual boot camp, trips were sponsored by various organizations from different sectors, including the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society and Recording Industry Association of America.
Trips in 2024 that list AI as a purpose of travel have also included new sponsors, such as Microsoft Corp. and Global Women's Innovation Network. They have also moved to the international sphere, with trips to Dublin, Ireland, to participate in panels on AI and trips to Italy to learn about the impact of AI in education, health care and climate.
