Following a fiercely contested election, Donald Trump has emerged victorious, securing the presidency as America’s 47th leader.
With the Senate under Republican influence and a likely alliance in the House, an era of substantial transformation looms, which may significantly impact the realm of artificial intelligence (AI), a sector previously at odds with governmental regulation.
Throughout his presidential campaign, Trump pledged to dismantle the cornerstone of President Biden’s AI initiatives encapsulated in the AI Executive Order of October 2023. This order propelled the advancement of AI in several domains, including healthcare, and endorsed voluntary guidance to counterbalance the security and safety risks associated with AI technologies.
The Republican Perspective and Prospective AI Strategies
Trump, alongside his Republican cohorts, have voiced their discontent with aspects of the Biden-era order, lamenting that such regulatory measures could hamper AI firms, potentially curtailing their innovative efforts. The requirement for enterprises to disclose details on AI model training and security protocols has been targeted as a possible barrier to innovation, as voiced by Representative Nancy Mace (R-SC) in a congressional hearing, citing concerns over obstructing advancements akin to ChatGPT’s development.
Trump’s former stint as president was marked by executive orders that bolstered national AI research agendas and safeguarded civil liberties while endorsing the provision of “trustworthy” AI technologies. Despite Trump committing to AI innovation that respects free speech and human prosperity, his exact strategy in this vein remains unspecified.
The continuation of the U.S. AI Safety Institute (AISI)
The continuation of the U.S. AI Safety Institute (AISI), a product of Biden’s executive order, now hangs in the balance with Trump’s return to office. The institute’s budget and international alliances could be rendered obsolete if Trump decides to revoke his predecessor’s order. In October, there was advocacy for the institutionalization of AISI through legislative means.
Local AI Initiatives and Global Trade Considerations
Ball postulates that Trump’s win could provoke Democrat-run states, such as California, to implement their AI policy frameworks in response to a perceived vacuum at the federal level. This prediction meshes with the current landscape, as several states have introduced notable AI legislation. Tennessee, Colorado, and California lead the pack with laws governing AI employment and operational nuances.
Striving for Equilibrium and Supervision
Amid these projections, there is a flicker of optimism that the governance of AI will surpass the divisions of party politics. Sandra Wachter, a specialist in data ethics at the Oxford Internet Institute, underscores that the perils AI poses are a worldwide challenge, indifferent to political demarcation.
The outcome of this latest electoral process heralds a possible pivot in the United States’ AI regulatory stance, warranting attentive observation of the emerging policies that will not only shape the national AI landscape but will also influence global attitudes towards this transformative technology..
