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Government regulators are champing at the bit to enact new rules to control artificial intelligence (AI) programs. The real impact of any such AI regulation would only lead to the censorship of conservative speech, particularly by liberal judges and states. Frankly, it would also harm the competitiveness of American AI, just like Europe’s overregulation of has hindered AI development there. But only robust freedom of speech can prevent major leftwing bias in AI, which means preventing blue state regulators from infringing on unfettered speech by AI chatbots. Trump’s legislative team proposed a 10-year moratorium against state regulation of AI, a necessary measure to protect our First Amendment right to speech.
One group opposing such a moratorium, was signed by 21 Democrat attorneys general (including anti-Trump Letitia James of New York), 3 territorial attorneys general, and a smaller group of 16 Republicans. Interestingly, there were some notable absences, such as conservative Texas AG Ken Paxton. The letter itself was vague about any real regulatory goals. It relied on many less-than-meaningful platitudes about consumer protection and data privacy. The examples listed in the letter were mostly of legislation in leftwing states like California and Colorado. These Democrat jurisdictions are pursing many left wing talking points, including banning so-called “deep-fakes” designed to “mislead voters.”
Many Democrat politicians seek only to preserve their power, weaponize government against Republicans, and censor conservative speech. Under the pretext of prohibiting speech that might “mislead voters,” those liberal politicians would simply further censor conservatives, like Big Tech already tries to do in its AI chatbot answers.
What liberals want today concerning AI is what they wanted in the 1990s for the internet: a “gatekeeper”, as Hillary Clinton put it, to prevent unfiltered information from reaching the public. Liberals control most channels of communication, and an unregulated AI is necessary for conservative political candidates and causes to have a chance. Conservatives successfully fought internet regulation, such that Trump could win presidential elections despite the liberal media. But if blue states are allowed to regulate AI, they will marginalize conservative perspectives or omit them altogether.
This post originally appeared at https://phyllisschlafly.com/constitution/free-speech/regulating-ai-is-not-the-answer/
Phyllis Schlafly