back to article AI firms and civil society groups plead for passage of federal AI law ASAP

More than 60 commercial orgs, non-profits, and academic institutions have asked Congress to pass legislation authorizing the creation of the US AI Safety Institute within the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST). Bills introduced previously in the US Senate and the House of Representatives – S 4178, the …

  1. Dan 55 Silver badge

    Pointless

    If Big US Tech has endorsed it, all this is is an exercise in lobbying to do two things. 1) Shut out competition at home and from abroad and 2) Set some minimum standards which are only there so it can be said "we already have standards, any more would ruin our competitivity" (see the broken mess that is right to repair).

    1. Guy de Loimbard Silver badge

      Re: Pointless

      It's not clear what they are trying to do here, as usual, the lobbying isn't being open about the end goal or desired end state.

      I'm all for regulation and rules where necessary, but AI is way off any level of maturity that requires it to be defined and have rules that aren't going to change rapidly as the advances come.

      I'd love to see what NIST or others can do to wrestle this slippery beast.

      Food for thought of course.

      1. Like a badger

        Re: Pointless

        "I'd love to see what NIST or others can do to wrestle this slippery beast."

        You can see from the corporate supporters that the proposed bill isn't intended to control or regulate existing US AI players. The lobbyists intend that it will ensure the bill allows that US AI companies can:

        1) Use any private individual's data as they see fit without the impediment of privacy regulations

        2) Use any copyrighted sources they like without permission or payment

        3) Operate in a manner where the US government either excuses them for liability for consequences of the use of their AI, or that the taxpayer picks up the tab.

  2. amanfromMars 1 Silver badge

    Much Ado about Nothing, Methinks, when Que Sera, Sera is Par for Any and Every Course

    Your future environment and likely life for experiencing, as is both programmed and predicted by humans and be trailed in the short [4:55] video presented here ........ Megacities: Urban Future, the Emerging Complexity ...... is dire, with the current Troubles and Clearances in the Middle East clearly reflecting the portrayed reality unfolding.

    And yet, quite perversely, it appears that the relentless onward unregulated anonymous and autonomous march of Generative AI and Virtual Machines [Spooky NEUKlearer HyperRadioProACTive IT with LLLLM/Learned Large Language Learning Machines] is to be perceived and pimped as the existential threat to be gravely regarded and even imagined to be possibly opposed and defeated.

    Who be the fools whenever that is the mainstream media's presentation of realities for you to believe cannot be radically altered to paint an altogether quite different picture whenever you are told such is easily changed and done with AI aided and abetted by any of ITs Extremely Dangerous [according to H. L. Mencken] Friends

    “The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out ... without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, intolerable.” - H. L. Mencken

  3. Tubz Silver badge

    When an industry polices itself to for compliance, you can always guarantee corruption and deliberate law breaking to ensure profits. The law makers know this and that's why envelopes stuffed with money are donated to political funds. very few politicians use their own money to progress the careers, and the majority are always in the top earners. Communism had a few good ideas, being the re-education of and employment of politicians for the benefit of the workers, one of them !

    1. MonkeyJuice Bronze badge

      Four Legs Bad

      > Communism had a few good ideas, being the re-education of and employment of politicians for the benefit of the workers, one of them

      Ask FoxConn employees how that turned out.

    2. Catkin Silver badge

      If you covet totalitarianism, remember that for every Stalin, there's a lot of Trotskys and, by definition, you're much more likely to end up as the latter.

      Not that Trotsky wasn't a brutal totalitarian too, his main complaint was that Stalin wasn't brutalising the 'right' people and he only changed his tune after losing out on the opportunity to do so to an entire nation.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Oh, I already see "jobs created". More regulations, more lawyers, more taxpayer's money wasted. No consumable GDP, endless inflation, and surprised for no productivity increase.

    What about fixing the elephant in the room: uncontrolled tracking and PII collection?

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