As GOP and Democratic lawmakers turn their attention to AI, their staffers are gaining a further understanding of its role in policy through attending Stanford University's annual Congressional Boot Camp on AI.
Since it began in 2022, the boot camp has seen a steady level of staffer participation. This year, 27 congressional staffers attended Stanford's third annual boot camp on AI, according to the participation lists provided in House and Senate staff travel disclosures. The camp saw similar levels of participation during previous years: 32 staffers attended the boot camp in 2023 and 24 staffers attended the inaugural boot camp in 2022.
GOP interest in the camp has remained steady with Democratic interest, with 13 GOP and 13 democratic staffers attending the camp this year and 16 Republican and 15 Democratic staffers attending in 2023. Although Democratic interest in the AI boot camp appears to have slightly outpaced GOP interest in the camp initially, with 13 Democratic and 11 GOP staffers attending the first camp in 2022.
Travel disclosures reveal that the relation between policy issues and AI are covered during sessions at the boot camp, including AI's Global Impact on Democracy and Governance and How Will AI Shape the Future of International Security and U.S. Intelligence, to allow "congressional staff to explore the latest in AI developments, equipping participants with the comprehensive knowledge needed to think critically about regulating and governing this emerging technology."
Notable participants this year included staffers from House Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' (D-N.Y.) offices.
Over the past year, congressional lawmakers have shown an increased interest in AI technology - introducing numerous bills concerning the benefits and dangers of AI such as the AI Innovation and Ethics Act, Artificial Intelligence Accountability Act and AI in Government Act - and privately financed travel related to AI has significantly increased since the camp started in 2022, highlighting AI's growing influence in government.
