Lies, Damned Lies, and the AI Scare
The maxim “Once bitten, twice shy” never seems to apply in politics. We don’t learn. An explosion of concern over the hurtling advance of artificial intelligence seems likely to follow the same pattern as previous panics, which goes like this:
TL;DR
- Past panics (COVID-19, climate alarmism) involved government overreaction and suppression of dissent, with little accountability.
- Concerns about AI's existential threat are compared to previous scares, suggesting a pattern of manufactured panic.
- Leaders in AI and politicians may be using scare tactics to push for government regulation, potentially to stifle competition from open-source AI.
- Former President Obama and Senator Sanders are mentioned as engaging with the AI regulation debate.
- China's rapid development of AI, including a massive AI brain in Inner Mongolia, is highlighted as a key driver in the global AI race.
- There is a dual danger of both excessive caution that hinders progress and reckless inattention to AI development.
- Former President Trump's reaction to AI guardrails is described as unstatesmanlike and counterproductive.