Biden's AI Policy Embraces Radical Ideology Over Innovation
FederalistApr 19
US Election Issue: Artificial Intelligence
Above: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks during the OpenAI DevDay event on Nov. 6, 2023 in San Francisco, California. Image copyright: Justin Sullivan/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images News
The Facts
OVERVIEW: According to Stanford University's 2024 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Index Report, in 2023 the US led in producing "notable" machine learning models (61) and foundation models (109), and ranked second in AI patents (21%) in 2022. The report also highlights an increase in US government AI spending from $1.38B in 2018 to $3.33B in 2023. According to the US Bureau of Economic Analysis, America’s digital economy accounted for 10% of US GDP in 2022, contributing approximately $2.6T and employing 8.9M individuals.
CURRENT STATE: An April report from Pres. Joe Biden's independent President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) claimed AI has the "potential to revolutionize our ability to address humanity's most urgent challenges," but warns risks like misinformation, bias, and misuse must be addressed. In tandem, a document by the Bipartisan Senate AI Working Group emphasizes AI's possibility to "radically alter human capacity and knowledge" while also presenting "doomsday scenario" risks.
The Spin
Democratic narrative
Over the past four years, largely steered by Kamala Harris, the White House has balanced a pro-innovation, anti-risk approach to AI, gaining Silicon Valley's support and helping ease credible concerns over the technology's potential dangers. Trump and JD Vance — whose background is in Big Tech finance — want to strip America of AI regulation, leaving prospective technology entrepreneurs at the whim of corporations without safety measures.
Republican narrative
The Biden administration’s approach to AI is driven by a woke and oppressive ideology, using fears of existential threats not to protect people, but to maintain centralized control over transformative technology. Instead of using AI to lower public spending, Democrats seek to impose totalitarian "equity" goals, pushing a left-wing, radical agenda under the guise of safety.
Establishment-critical narrative
America must wake up to the very real existential risk that AI poses to the world if we let it slip out of our control. As Big Tech and the Pentagon continue to push for AI research at a breathtaking pace, there is little proof that we have the capacity to protect society from the host of plausible AI dangers if the technology is pushed too far, too soon. AI can and will be a force for good if developed at a sensible speed with appropriate safety measures in place, but it is up to us to recognize and mitigate these threats before it's too late.
