InfoBytes Blog
House Financial Services Committee reauthorizes fintech, AI task forces
On April 30, the House Financial Services Committee announced the reauthorization of the Task Forces on Financial Technology and Artificial Intelligence. According to Chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the “Task Forces will investigate whether these technologies are serving the needs of consumers, investors, small businesses, and the American public, which is needed especially as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.” Representative Stephen Lynch (D-MA) will chair the Task Force on Financial Technology, which will continue to monitor the opportunities and challenges posed by fintech applications for lending, payments, and money management and offer insight on how Congress can ensure Americans’ data and privacy is protected. Representative Bill Foster (D-IL) will chair the Task Force on Artificial Intelligence, which will examine how AI is impacting the way Americans operate in the marketplace, how to think about identity security, and how to interact with financial institutions. The task forces will also examine issues related to algorithms, digital identities, and combatting fraud. As previously covered by InfoBytes, these task forces were set to expire in December 2019.
House GOP members also released a report that highlights efforts of the Task Forces on Financial Technology and on Artificial Intelligence and includes recommendations on how to utilize innovation. According to the report, the two “key takeaways” are that “Congress must (1) promote greater financial inclusion and expanded access to financial services, and (2) ensure that the federal government does not hinder the United States’ role as a global leader in financial services innovation.” The report also includes recommendations for policy regulators and Congress to: (i) decide how to assist innovation, especially in the private sector; (ii) use the power of data and machine learning to fight fraud, streamline compliance, and make better underwriting decisions; and (iii) “keep up with technology to better protect consumers.”