A standardized AI regulation law remains elusive in the US despite growing concerns and risks in the rapid advancement of the technology.
Just recently, the European Union became the first government bloc to pass legislation aimed at governing the development, distribution, and application of AI in the region.
The US, on the other hand, is still grappling with proposals as to how the promised AI law will be. It is worth noting that calls for AI legislation were first pushed in the US, not in the EU.
The question now is how long will the people wait for the government to answer.
Also Read: US Drafts First AI Resolution in the UN to Resolve Digital Inequality
AI Regulation Law: Where We are so Far?
In October last year, US President Joe Biden signed an executive order to establish plans in creating "new standards for AI safety and security."
Several departments and agencies were tasked to develop standards in AI for their respective fields, all of which will be used to form the promised AI law.
Nearly six months later, the administration is still considering the proposals submitted as the tasked department collects responses and suggestions from affected AI firms.
It does not help that Washington has largely been reluctant to address concerns on AI, or at least to implement safety guardrails in its usage.
As of writing, private companies remain largely in control of how their technology can be used and who will benefit from it.
Tech Firms Lobbying on AI-Related Legislations Surge
The push for legislation on AI has also noted an increase in Congress lobbying regarding the emerging technology.
Several notable tech giants, including Microsoft and Meta, have been reported to lobby for changes or additions in the proposed AI law provisions.
The lobbying increase follows after more and more publications, online platforms, and authors started pursuing legal accountability from AI firms regarding their model development, specifically what data sets they use to train their AI models.
Related Article : AI Lobbying Increased by 185% Amid Calls for Industry Regulations
AI Regulation Laws: Why We Need It?
With the 2024 Elections just around the corner, AI-fueled disinformation has been noted to increase over the past months.
The Federal Communications Commission has only just banned AI-generated deepfakes in robocalls and spam calls after one was used to impersonate Biden.
Tech companies have also been noted to continue the trend of mass layoffs as more turn to AI to automate their operations.
Without a standardized rule on the technology, experts predict that the AI may soon pose an "extinction-level" threat to humans if world governments do not intervene.
