With the AI race showing few signs of slowing, lawmakers are treading into uncharted territory when it comes to regulating the technology. Former Chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Tom Wheeler appears on Catalysts to discuss the current state of artificial intelligence and how to regulate big tech companies.
“When we think about AI, we have to recognize that all of the things that have happened in the last 12 months that have us boggle our minds are probably the smallest changes we'll see in our lifetimes. So the question is, how do we address this? How do we move from an industrial economy, overseen by industrial-era regulations, to a digital economy, to an AI economy with oversight to protect the public interest? And the challenge so far, at least in the U.S., is that policymakers have not been up to the task,” Wheeler said.
He points out that the EU and US states have their own rules, which “will create new problems for tech companies that rely on a unified market.” He describes the European way of regulating tech companies as “a much more agile approach” than industrial-era micromanagement, and one that “continues to encourage innovation and investment.” But he thinks it will be difficult to get to that stage in the US, as it struggles with a “Congress that is struggling to make decisions.”
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This post was written by Melanie Leal
Video Transcript
From Meta to Apple, some of the tech industry's largest companies continue to face scrutiny from European regulators.
So will the wave of regulations overseas lead to further legislation at home?
What is his opinion?
We're joined by Tom Wheeler, former FCC Chairman and author of “Tech Lash,” a book about setting the rules for the golden age of digital.
Tom, it's been great talking to you.
Thank you very much for coming.
Clearly, AI will put additional pressure on the regulation of technology issues.
I was wondering if you could just give us some context on what's at stake here from your perspective, what do you think the consequences would be if we don't actually get AI laws and regulations in the U.S.?
Well, first of all, thank you very much for inviting me today.
When we think about AI, I think we need to recognize that all of the things that have happened in the last 12 months that have left us scratching our heads are probably the least amount of change we will ever see in our lifetimes.
So the question is, how do we deal with it?
How do we transform from an industrial economy overseen by industrial-age style regulations to a digital economy overseen to protect the public interest, and then to an AI economy?
And the challenge so far, at least in the U.S., is that policymakers have been unable to rise to the challenge, leaving the rules to be written by other countries and U.S. states — either of which would create new problems for tech companies that rely on a unified market.
What are those problems more specifically?
And you talk about the fact that other countries besides the United States are taking similar steps. Is what Europe is doing a good example?
Should the United States follow in Europe's footsteps in this regard?
I think Europe is inventing a new paradigm, so to speak.
They say, first of all, we're going to act aggressively to ensure that there's competition and fairness in the marketplace, something that U.S. regulators have failed to do.
And they said, we're going to do it in a new way.
We are not going to simply recreate the old industrial-era regulations that were micromanaging.
Instead, we state our goals and our four expectations for company behavior, and companies are expected to acknowledge them and demonstrate how they are complying.
And that's a whole new approach.
This is a much more agile approach.
It's an approach that continues to encourage innovation and investment, and it sets the standard for how we do things in America.
Whether it will get to that point with Congress struggling to make a decision.
