AI Governance: The Urgent Need for a Tech-Savvy President in the AI Era

The need for a president who understands AI is becoming increasingly urgent as the technology rapidly advances and tech leaders make grandiose, unverifiable promises about its potential impact.

Key takeaways: Despite the current limitations of AI, it is poised to significantly change many aspects of our lives in the coming years, making it crucial for the next U.S. president to have a deep understanding of the technology and its implications:

• The policies and regulations set by the next administration will have lasting impacts on how AI is developed and deployed, as well as the responsibilities and liabilities of companies in the industry.
• A president who can distinguish between realistic assessments of AI’s capabilities and exaggerated claims made by tech leaders is essential for developing sound policies grounded in reality.

Shifting narratives from tech leaders: As the limitations of current AI systems become more widely acknowledged, major tech companies are now focusing on long-term, grandiose promises that are impossible to verify:

• OpenAI’s Sam Altman claimed AI would “discover all of physics” and potentially “double the world’s GDP,” while Microsoft’s AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman suggested the cost of knowledge production would go to zero within 15 years.
• These claims are not supported by evidence and wildly extrapolate beyond what is currently possible, taking advantage of the public’s fascination with techno-utopian visions.

The urgency of effective AI policy: The U.S. has a limited window of opportunity to establish a comprehensive and effective framework for AI governance, making it critical for the next president to prioritize this issue:

• Executive orders alone are insufficient; the president must work with Congress to develop legislation that addresses the challenges and opportunities presented by AI.
• Resisting regulatory capture and standing up to the influence of big tech companies will be essential for ensuring that AI policies serve the public interest rather than corporate agendas.

Analyzing deeper: The lack of substantive discussion about AI in the recent presidential debate highlights the disconnect between the rapid advancement of the technology and the understanding of its implications among political leaders. As AI continues to progress, it will become increasingly important for presidents and other policymakers to have a deep, native understanding of the technology in order to navigate the complex challenges and opportunities it presents. Failure to do so could result in misguided policies that fail to protect the public interest or hinder the responsible development of AI. It is crucial that the next president prioritizes building expertise in this area and surrounds themselves with advisors who can provide informed guidance on AI policy.