With increasing attention towards AI Governance and Safety in the United States, everyone with scandalous group chats is desperately wondering if we are headed towards more privacy laws like the EU. Or are we still in the Wild Wild West of figuring out what is going on?
President Biden recently released an Executive Order on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence, which is a step toward regulating the state of AI in the United States. Now we have a whole bunch of people arguing about what this means for the country. This is really great and all because now we are going to have more pointless political debate while I am just trying to eat Turkey at the Thanksgiving table.
The United States currently lags behind Europe in terms of data regulation. Europe has GDPR, while the United States has a used napkin with some scribbles on it that looks like something I could make in my elementary school art class. To be fair, California does have the CCPA, and there are other fragmented federal bills like HIPPA and COPPA, which were haphazardly baked in a dysfunctional bakery, but there is definitely a lot to be desired.
But why is this? Is the United States just allergic to more data, privacy, and AI regulation? Does the country not find it necessary? It could be the individualistic/market-driven culture of the United States, which loves freedom, fast cars, and big bald birds that just hate the idea of any sort of regulation. After all, it is more difficult to pass legislation as it is a high bar to getting bipartisan support on anything. I’d be more likely to get my roommate to agree to wash the dishes than for Congressional approval on anything.
Also, we have to keep in mind that the technological center of the world is in Silicon Valley, and I am sure they are clamoring for AI regulation that slows down their billions and billions of dollars of profit. Nothing would make people happier than being less wealthy than they already are (in fact, please feel free to send me boatloads of money if you fall into this category).
All of this is to say that while attempts to regulate AI affairs are noble and needed to a certain extent, there are a couple of barriers that will make passing meaningful reform more difficult than in other countries. Like most things, we are probably going to have to wait for a national disaster of Hurricane Katrina-level proportions before something is done about this. So while Biden’s AI Regulation is a step in the direction of AI regulation, it will probably take a lot more effort before we see any meaningful change in the United States. But hey, you never know… crazier things have happened. Maybe your boy will play a part in it.
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