WASHINGTON D.C. — A new, highly anticipated bipartisan congressional committee has been established to investigate the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence, with early reports indicating a primary focus on determining whether AI is, in fact, a form of advanced computing. Sources close to the committee suggest members are currently grappling with fundamental questions such as, “Does it run on electricity?” and “Is it like, a computer thing?”

“We understand the American people have concerns about AI, and we want to assure them we are taking this very seriously,” stated Senator Mildred Perkins (R-KY), co-chair of the newly formed 'Committee on Understanding Digital Brains and Other Such Gizmos.' “Our first order of business is to define 'artificial' and 'intelligence' in a way that makes sense for the average constituent, who, frankly, is probably just trying to figure out how to reset their router.”

Representative Charles 'Chuck' Thompson (D-CA), the committee’s other co-chair, emphasized the need for a thorough, if basic, approach. “We’ve brought in some of the brightest minds in the country – mostly interns – to explain what a 'neural network' is. Apparently, it’s not a social media platform for brains, which was a relief to many of us.” He added that the committee is also exploring whether AI could be used to write more compelling campaign slogans, or perhaps even draft legislation that isn't immediately riddled with loopholes.

Experts familiar with the committee’s progress, who wished to remain anonymous to avoid being asked to explain what a 'gigabyte' is again, noted that significant headway has been made in distinguishing AI from a particularly sophisticated calculator. The committee hopes to issue its preliminary findings sometime before the next major technological paradigm shift, or perhaps after lunch.