But… Won’t Congress legislate AI?

Most technological legislation follows major accidents that trigger public outrage. The U.S. Nuclear Commission imposed stricter regulations after the 1979 Three Mile Island incident. Similarly, the Offshore Safety Act came after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion.

Washington has historically lagged in regulating new technologies. However, this time, widespread AI concerns will push for early legislation. Congress will respond with sweeping AI laws, but they will prove superficial and unintelligent.

In a city with more lobbyists than politicians and tech companies richer than most citizens, one bipartisan agreement remains: never harm those who fund your re-election.

New AI security agencies will emerge. The CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) may be overshadowed by a future AIC (Artificial Intelligence Agency), which will argue that regulating American AI companies would only benefit competitors like China and Russia. Privately, these agencies will also seek control over AI tools to manage the population.

Legislation often lags behind societal and technological changes, and by the time laws catch up, they address yesterday’s issues, not today’s.

Waiting for an AI-related disaster to demand regulation might not be compatible with human survival...