Staff Reports
In 2023, the rise of AI chatbots like ChatGPT sparked major concerns among experts and critics. They warned that artificial intelligence could cause chaos by spreading fake news, throwing the job market into disarray, and posing a threat to humanity. In response, the government quickly jumped into action to create regulations that would keep this technology in check without squashing innovation. But, as it turns out, this won’t be a walk in the park.
The government has been hard at work churning out dozens of bills to rein in artificial intelligence, with President Joe Biden even issuing an executive order to corral AI under government rules. But, surprise, surprise – it’s not as simple as waving a magic wand and poof! Problem solved.
My latest: A look at why AI just might be unregulatable https://t.co/Q1XzgXRvGS
— Christopher Hutton (@chris_journo) February 20, 2024
One huge snag in the plan is that AI is considered a form of speech, protected by the First Amendment. This means that slapping regulations on it is like tiptoeing through a legal minefield. Oh, and then there’s the whole deepfake situation. These AI-generated fake images and videos, also known as deepfakes, have the potential to wreak havoc by spreading lies and carrying out scams on a massive scale. And guess what? The creators have the right to make them. It’s like giving a free pass to a professional fibber.
As if that’s not headache-inducing enough, there are those pesky open-source AI models to contend with. These bad boys are like renegade operatives, operating outside the jurisdiction of any government. Once released into the wild, anyone with internet access can rejigger these models to their heart’s content. And guess who’s losing sleep over this? Congressional lawmakers, that’s who. They’re fretting over the possibility of ne’er-do-wells like Russia exploiting these models for nefarious deeds. It’s like trying to wrangle a pack of unruly puppies during playtime – chaos, chaos, chaos!
But fear not, all hope is not lost. Instead of trying to put AI in a straitjacket, some smart folks are suggesting focusing on regulating specific uses of the technology. The Federal Communications Commission, for instance, has already put its foot down on using AI-generated voices in robocalls. So, it’s not all doom and gloom.
In the end, as one exasperated expert wisely said, rushing into regulation like a bull in a china shop could end up doing more harm than good. It’s like trying to bake a cake without a recipe – messy and not guaranteed to taste good. So, it looks like lawmakers will have to roll up their sleeves and do some serious brainstorming before they can whip those AI regulations into shape.
