Summer Lee Pushes New AI Civil Rights Act to Stop Algorithmic Bias and Protect Communities

Pittsburgh Congresswoman Summer Lee’s push to reintroduce the Artificial Intelligence Civil Rights Act marks an essential step in ensuring fairness and accountability in the digital age. Lee and her Democratic colleagues are determined to curb discriminatory practices hidden within algorithms that now influence critical life outcomes like employment, housing, healthcare, and lending. “Discrimination is illegal when it’s done by a person, and it should be just as illegal when it’s done by an algorithm,” Lee declared, emphasizing the moral and legal necessity of her bill.

The legislation directly targets algorithmic discrimination by banning decisions that unfairly impact individuals based on protected characteristics such as race, gender, or disability. It requires companies to conduct independent audits of their AI systems and to “take reasonable measures” to prevent algorithmic harm. Crucially, it also grants Americans the right to decide whether a human or an algorithm determines their fate in sensitive decisions. Oversight would fall under the Federal Trade Commission, ensuring that tech companies are held accountable. “We can’t allow companies to hide behind code when their products discriminate,” Lee said. “People deserve transparency, real oversight, and a human being who is beholden to civil rights law.”

Senator Ed Markey, who will introduce the Senate companion bill, supported the reintroduction by citing data that reveals how unchecked AI amplifies inequality. “Bias is bias, whether it comes from a human or from a machine,” he said, referencing a 2019 report showing mortgage algorithms were 80% more likely to reject Black applicants and a 2022 study showing AI missed liver disease in women twice as often as in men.

Lee’s advocacy builds on prior efforts, including her Eliminating Bias in Algorithmic Systems Act, which sought to embed civil rights offices in federal agencies to monitor bias. Though previous attempts stalled, Lee insists that fighting AI bias is about safeguarding democracy itself. “If technology is shaping people’s lives, then we have to mitigate the harms that it can cause—or in some cases are already causing.” Her stance reflects growing public demand for fairness and transparency as AI becomes more deeply woven into everyday life.

Link: Technical