UPDATED 21:05 EST / JANUARY 07 2020

AI

White House chiefs propose a more ‘flexible’ approach to AI regulation

The White House is urging federal agencies to consider carefully any regulatory actions they take on artificial intelligence technology, saying they should attempt to establish more “flexible frameworks” as opposed to one-size-fits-all regulation.

The proposed regulatory principles regarding the development and use of AI are intended to limit authorities’ “overreach,” the White House said in a statement. Officials are also asking European officials to temper their own regulations regarding AI, Reuters reported Monday.

Companies across the world are increasingly adopting AI technologies to boost their competitiveness, and that has led to concerns about control of data, privacy, cybersecurity and the future of work, Reuters said.

Now, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration says it wants to promote “trustworthy AI,” saying agencies should consider “fairness, non-discrimination, openness, transparency, safety and security” when creating any new regulations. It’s asking federal agencies and its European allies to avoid “heavy-handed” rules that might stifle innovation in AI.

“The best way to counter authoritarian uses of AI is to make sure America and our international partners remain the global hubs of innovation,” the White House said.

The administration’s comments come at a time when several U.S. states have voiced concerns over AI. In California, for example, lawmakers last year introduced a three-year ban on law enforcement agencies using body cameras with facial-recognition software, saying they could pose a threat to people’s civil liberties.

Europe is also gearing up for more AI regulation. Last year, the European Commission’s High-Level Expert Group on AI published a set of guidelines on the ethical use of AI, which could form the basis of new European Union regulations.

Constellation Research Inc. analyst Holger Mueller told SiliconANGLE that the White House’s proposals for AI are timely as politicians in many countries look eager to impose regulations on the industry.

“It’s very possible that a regulatory overreach could be in the making, which would hold back AI progress for society and humanity,” Mueller said. “So it’s key that the right balance is to be found and it’s good to see and hear both sides of the story. Mankind will be worse off if strangles AI progress with overbearing regulations. Economies that get the compromise right will be booming, and those that don’t will be losing.”

Michael Kratsios, chief technology officer of the U.S., is set to talk about the government’s AI strategy at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week. He said in a statement that the new principles would “set the nation on a path of continued AI innovation and discovery.”

The White House has indicated before that it intends to take a more relaxed approach to AI regulation. In a 2018 meeting with representatives from more than 30 major U.S. firms including Boeing Co., Amazon.com Inc. and Microsoft Corp., officials insisted they would not stand in the way of AI development.

Image: Deepak Pal/Flickr

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