Why Washington Lawmakers Are Skeptical Of AI

"Writing is a use-it-or-lose-it skill, and I don't want to lose it," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told BI. Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images

Artificial intelligence has become a major subject on Capitol Hill, and while some lawmakers are beginning to find ways to incorporate it into their work, many of their colleagues are choosing to abstain.

From generating one-liners with Grok to refining speeches with ChatGPT, early adopters are experimenting with the technology. However, a significant number of politicians remain unconvinced, citing a range of reasons from practical concerns to philosophical objections.

"I haven't had the chance to really explore the tools," explained Democratic Rep. Gabe Vasquez of New Mexico. "I'm a little behind the times in that sense."

Concerns Over Reliability and 'Hallucinations'

For many, the primary hesitation is the unreliability of AI chatbots. Large language models are known to sometimes produce confident but incorrect information, a phenomenon known as "hallucination." This risk is a major deterrent for lawmakers who rely on accurate data.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts expressed this concern bluntly. "I might as well go out on the street and ask a random person a question and see what words they come up with," she said. "Maybe they're right, but then again, maybe they're not, and the only way to know that is to do the research yourself."

Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia, shares this skepticism. He noted that his email client recently began providing unsolicited AI-generated summaries, which he found unhelpful. "First, I didn't ask for it. Second, it's got a high error rate," Kaine stated, adding that it felt like an excessive and unnecessary use of energy.

The 'Use It or Lose It' Mentality

Another significant reason for avoidance is the desire to preserve personal skills and cognitive faculties. Some lawmakers worry that over-reliance on AI could erode their own abilities to think critically and communicate effectively.

"I've just never felt the need, and I like being creative," said Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. "Writing is a use-it-or-lose-it skill, and I don't want to lose it."

This sentiment was echoed by Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts. "I still like to compose original thoughts, and not rely on technology to help state what I feel," he said.

Principled Opposition and Big Tech Skepticism

For others, the decision not to use AI is rooted in a fundamental distrust of the technology and the companies behind it. Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri and a vocal critic of Big Tech, takes a hardline stance.

"I don't trust it, I don't like it, I don't want it being trained on any of the information I might give it," Hawley said.

Rep. Greg Murphy of North Carolina, a Republican who is also a practicing urologist, said that while he has dabbled with AI for medical questions, he avoids it for his official duties and instructs his staff to do the same.

"I don't want people writing speeches for me, or doing letters to constituents with that," Murphy explained, noting that if his constituents "wanted something from ChatGPT, they could have Googled it themselves."