President Biden heralded the “enormous promise” of artificial intelligence while pointing out that we must manage risks to society and our economy. These include misinformation and job loss. Meeting with experts in San Francisco, Biden said AI is already fueling “change in every part of American life, often in ways we don’t notice.” Citing social media and its potential harms, Biden called for proper AI guardrails. The Bay Area visit was part of Biden’s 2024 reelection fundraising campaign, and included an event co-hosted by venture capitalist Reid Hoffman, who was integral to the launches of LinkedIn and PayPal.

Los Angeles Times says Hoffman, since 2009 a principal at Greylock Partners, “was an early investor in OpenAI, which built the popular ChatGPT app, and sits on the board of tech companies including Microsoft that are investing heavily in AI.”

Among those Biden met with behind closed doors at the Fairmont Hotel Tuesday were many Big Tech critics, including Common Sense Media founder James Steyer, a children’s advocate and civil rights attorney. Also in the mix were California Governor Gavin Newsom, Center for Humane Technology founder Tristan Harris and Algorithmic Justice League founder Joy Buolamwini, among others.

Steyer told LA Times the president was engaged on the subject of AI and talked a lot about its potential effect on democracy. “A couple of people refer to it as sort of a moonshot moment,” Steyer said, adding “you cannot let a small handful of large companies who may or may not be well-meaning drive the future of AI.”

LA Times also covers AI as it is currently being used in political campaigns, and the concerns the striking Writers Guild of America membership have about the technology.

CNN says the president huddled in April with key staff including top science adviser Dr. Arati Prabhakar and made clear AI is a top administration priority. Politico reports that Biden and his staff “are meeting regularly” to develop an AI strategy beyond the consumer-focused blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights unveiled in October.

The Washington Post notes that “the AI debate is sweeping through the federal government,” engaging agencies like the Commerce Department, the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department.

On Tuesday, the FCC and the National Science Foundation announced plans for a July workshop on the “opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence for communications networks and consumers,” WaPo writes.

Engadget reports that on Monday the House introduced its version of the Senate’s AI-inflected Global Technology Leadership Act — one of two bills involving AI the Senate advanced this month.

And the states aren’t idly waiting for feds to act, but are moving their own legislation, “rushing to regulate deepfakes as AI goes mainstream,” reports Bloomberg.