Large-language models demand huge amounts of data. Lawmakers want to know what that means for user privacy

Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) speaks at a hearing with the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Capitol Hill on March 01, 2023 in Washington, DC. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Requiring commercial companies to limit the amount of personal information they collect will mitigate harms caused by cyberattacks and data breaches, even as artificial intelligence development pushes firms to acquire more data, lawmakers and experts said on Wednesday. 

During a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Data Security hearing, Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo. — the panel’s chairman — warned that “as companies collect more data, they become more attractive targets for data breaches.”

Hickenlooper said it is critical for lawmakers to finally pass a privacy framework that prioritizes data security and data minimization, particularly as states and the European Union have moved to adopt their own privacy laws and regulations in lieu of federal action ...