A Congressman wanted to understand AI. So he went back to a college classroom to learn

By DAVID KLEPPER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Frightening to some, exciting to others, baffling to many: Artificial intelligence has been called an economic game changer, a threat to democracy or even an existential threat to humanity. Members of Congress need to figure out how to regulate the industry in a way that encourages its potential benefits while mitigating the worst risks. But first they have to understand it. To educate themselves, lawmakers have created a task force and invited experts to explain how AI could transform our lives. Rep. Don Beyer, a Virginia Democrat, is taking it even further by enrolling in college to get a master’s degree in machine learning.