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Trump Signs EO to Block State AI Regs 12/12 06:19
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday aimed at blocking
states from crafting their own regulations for artificial intelligence, saying
the burgeoning industry is at risk of being stifled by a patchwork of onerous
rules while in a battle with Chinese competitors for supremacy.
(AP) -- President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday aimed at
blocking states from crafting their own regulations for artificial
intelligence, saying the burgeoning industry is at risk of being stifled by a
patchwork of onerous rules while in a battle with Chinese competitors for
supremacy.
Members of Congress from both parties, as well as civil liberties and
consumer rights groups, have pushed for more regulations on AI, saying there is
not enough oversight for the powerful technology.
But Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that "there's only going to be
one winner" as nations race to dominate artificial intelligence, and China's
central government gives its companies a single place to go for government
approvals.
"We have the big investment coming, but if they had to get 50 different
approvals from 50 different states, you can forget it because it's impossible
to do," Trump said.
The executive order directs the Attorney General to create a new task force
to challenge state laws, and directs the Commerce Department to draw up a list
of problematic regulations.
It also threatens to restrict funding from a broadband deployment program
and other grant programs to states with AI laws.
David Sacks, a venture capitalist with extensive AI investments who is
leading Trump's policies on cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence, said
the Trump administration would only push back on "the most onerous examples of
state regulation" but would not oppose "kid safety" measures.
What states have proposed
Four states -- Colorado, California, Utah and Texas -- have passed laws that
set some rules for AI across the private sector, according to the International
Association of Privacy Professionals.
Those laws include limiting the collection of certain personal information
and requiring more transparency from companies.
The laws are in response to AI that already pervades everyday life. The
technology helps make consequential decisions for Americans, including who gets
a job interview, an apartment lease, a home loan and even certain medical care.
But research has shown that it can make mistakes in those decisions, including
by prioritizing a particular gender or race.
States' more ambitious AI regulation proposals require private companies to
provide transparency and assess the possible risks of discrimination from their
AI programs.
Beyond those more sweeping rules, many states have regulated parts of AI:
barring the use of deepfakes in elections and to create nonconsensual porn, for
example, or putting rules in place around the government's own use of AI.
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