New legislation introduced in the House by Reps. Clay Higgins, R-La., and Eric Burlison, R-Mo., would put limits on how the IRS can use AI technology – specifically in choosing whose tax returns to audit.
The legislation – titled the No AI Audits Act – would require audit selection and initiation to be done solely ‘by IRS personnel.
“The weaponization of AI technology is an ominous threat to our Constitutional freedoms,” said Rep. Higgins. “Unelected bureaucrats in DC should not be using AI as a tool to further weaponize the federal government against the American people.”
Furthermore, the legislation would limit the IRS commissioner’s ability to implement AI guidance without specifically defining taxpayer protections. It also would require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a review of the tax agency’s AI use and look for any possible adverse effects of the technology.
“We, as a Congress who have been sworn to serve the people, must think seriously about the implications of the rapid deployment of AI technology,” Rep. Higgins said. “We must focus on the balance between the power of AI and the dangers it holds for freedom-loving Americans and our national security.”
The legislation comes as the IRS is undertaking substantial technology modernization efforts as part of an $80 billion funding stream from the Inflation Reduction Act that was approved by Congress back in 2022.
