Just as many distributors are developing the best ways to deploy artificial intelligence within tech stacks, use it within warehouses and distribution centers and create internal AI policies, those in Washington are also working to understand its use cases across the workforce.

On Feb. 11, the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce’s Subcommittee on Workforce Protections heard testimony on how advanced and emerging technologies, including AI, can be used to address workplace safety.

National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors’ President and CEO Eric Hoplin was called to testify on how the distribution industry is currently deploying artificial intelligence and automation-assisted technologies across operations in warehouses and distribution centers.

In his remarks, Hoplin described the landscape of distribution, highlighted the industry’s existing emphasis on warehouse safety and shared how distributors continue to leverage new and emerging technologies to enhance operational efficiency and safety, including by beginning to look to AI and AI-enabled automation to detect, predict and deter potential hazards.

Hoplin’s message was that AI and advanced technologies (with human judgement always in the loop) supports proactive safety measures and better decision-making within distribution, and that “burdensome regulatory environments” would slow the adoption of innovation.

While this hearing was an information gathering effort, the expectation is that lawmakers will eventually move to develop laws and rules regarding AI deployment. NAW’s stance is to urge Congress to enact federal AI policy that prevents overly restrictive or conflicting frameworks from undermining distributors’ ability to deploy technology.

“… Effective policy must strike a careful balance between considering these questions without stifling innovation and compromising our nation’s technological competitiveness,” Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI) wrote in his opening statement. “In the context of AI systems designed to protect workers on jobsites, there is no margin for error, and one oversight can be the difference between life and death.”

Testimonies were also given by the Mason Contractors Association of America’s President and CEO Jeff Buczkiewic and representatives from AI-driven fleet management platform Samsara and the National Employment Law Project.

Questions from the committee brought up concerns of privacy related to monitoring and surveillance.

Watch the testimony here.