With President-elect Donald Trump returning to the White House, those in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry are bracing for potential cuts in regulation and federal funding.
From the launch of ChatGPT to the increased use of deepfakes, AI has advanced rapidly over the past four years, and President Trump is returning to the Oval Office amid a profoundly changed technological landscape.
He has provided few details about his plans for AI, but the president-elect's partnership with tech billionaire Elon Musk and his pledge to repeal President Biden's AI executive order are likely to be That could mean sector-driven innovation and competition takes precedence over regulation, industry experts said.
“I think it's obvious [impact] at least [is] “This is a huge leap forward,” said Jason Corso, an AI researcher and co-founder and CEO of computer vision startup Voxel51.
This could have ramifications for the AI industry in the future, he added.
“I don’t think there will be an immediate impact from immediate deregulation because we are just learning what to do. What will be affected is long-term health and safe AI. I think it's an understanding and progress toward a safer world,” Corso said.
Deregulation was a major focus of President Trump's first term, and he has indicated he intends to continue this effort in his second term.
Musk, who has become one of Trump and the president-elect's most vocal supporters, has repeatedly floated the idea of a government efficiency commission focused on eliminating wasteful government spending and regulation.
It remains unclear whether this idea will come to fruition or whether Mr. Musk will lead it.
Reduced regulation could be coupled with cuts in research funding for AI, worrying some in the field.
“Historically, we've relied on government spending to do the kind of research and understanding that companies wouldn't do because it doesn't directly touch the bottom line,” Corso says.
AI research has been at the center of the Biden administration's technology policy, as evidenced by the establishment of the National Institute for AI Safety at the Department of Commerce.
The institute was created in response to Biden's executive order on AI, issued last year, to harness the benefits and manage the risks of the technology.
According to the Republican Party's policy platform released last July, President Trump plans to repeal the order.
“We will repeal Joe Biden’s dangerous executive orders that impede AI innovation and impose radical leftist ideas on the development of this technology,” the platform states. “Instead, Republicans support AI development rooted in free speech and human flourishing.”
A spokesperson for President Trump did not respond to The Hill's request for further details.
Among other directives, Biden's order establishes new safety standards for the federal government and businesses equipped with the most powerful AI systems. This was followed by the release last month of a National Security Memorandum encouraging government agencies to use AI for national security and foreign competition.
The next administration “will likely identify things or parts of it that they want to keep or adapt as they move forward with their own version of the executive order,” a former Trump official told The Hill.
“I definitely expect that a lot of the provisions related to that order will be repealed, and then we'll continue to set the tone from a policy perspective on what they want next. ” the official added.
Some industry insiders said Mr. Biden's measures are insufficient to keep up with rapid advances in technology and are superficial in terms of regulation.
“There was very little to repeal, it was a statement of intent. …I don't think it matters whether we repeal the current one because no action has been taken. Build smart regulations now. It's about whether you do it or not,” said Matt Calkins, CEO of Appian, which provides software used by governments and other companies.
Calkins said President Trump's growing collaboration with Musk, the owner of social platform I'm thinking.
“Mr. Trump may not have cared about it himself, but Mr. Musk does, and Mr. Musk has opinions about AI that we already know,” Calkins said, adding that Mr. Musk He pointed out that he supports California's anti-AI bill, which he had previously vetoed. Strong AI company safety measures.
“He's very cautious about the destructive power of AI, so he supported it,” Calkins added.
The AI advocacy group Americans for Responsible Innovation on Monday circulated a petition calling on President Trump to appoint Musk as special adviser on AI, saying he has an advantage in the U.S.'s continued leadership in AI. He claimed to be in a position of
Musk helped found OpenAI, maker of the ChatGPT tool, to bring AI to the public and start a race among companies to develop and release their own models. He also owns the AI company xAI.
He is among a growing number of wealthy Silicon Valley leaders who are flocking to the right, breaking with the industry's longstanding Democratic support. The leaders are also joined by a growing group of crypto investors who have shifted support amid dissatisfaction with the Biden administration's hardline approach to digital currencies.
Mr. Trump is likely to bring industry players into his fold. Politico reported Last week, former chief technology officer Michael Crasios and Gal Slater, an economic policy adviser to Vice President-elect Vance, were appointed to lead transition technology policy. Mr. Kratsios most recently served as managing director of AI startup Scale AI.
“It wouldn't surprise me to see Elon and other leaders in the tech industry… bring them in to provide a more advisory role as he continues to build his policies. It's not surprising,” said a former White House official. .
Optimism about President Trump's interest in AI is fueled by his focus on maintaining his advantage over foreign competitors, namely China.
“There are strong signs that the national security aspects of AI will be a key focus in the Trump administration,” said John Verdi, senior vice president of policy at the nonprofit Future of Privacy Forum and a former Obama administration official. ” he said.
This focus could resemble a continuation of the Biden administration's policies, which also sought to curb technological development by China.
