- Donald Trump is surrounded by people with opposing views on AI regulation.
- For example, Elon Musk has supported stronger AI regulation in the past.
- Meanwhile, JD Vance called for less emphasis on regulation and more emphasis on innovation.
Some Silicon Valley veterans are betting that the new administration of President-elect Donald Trump will make AI development a top priority.
Marc Andreessen, a venture capitalist who supported Trump and donated $2.5 million to a pro-Trump super PAC, recently said that “the campaign by woke big AI to get a regulatory capture cartel in Washington has just collapsed.” Posted on X. “You just stick a fork in it and it’s over. At the end of the day, the United States will be the world’s preeminent AI superpower.”
However, it may not be that simple. President Trump is surrounded by people with different views on AI regulation.
Meanwhile, his allies are working hard to rapidly develop AI. The Washington Post reported in July that some advisers close to President Trump have proposed a “Manhattan Project” to develop AI military technology, a new framework for evaluating AI models, and a review of AI regulations. It was reported that an executive order has been drafted to raise awareness. Signed by President Joe Biden. Trump himself has promised to rescind Biden’s executive order on AI in an effort to spur innovation.
But Elon Musk may emerge as a relatively cautious figure in the new administration.
Musk, who spent more than $130 million on Trump’s campaign, has advocated for stronger regulation of AI in the past. He supported California’s SB1047, which regulates AI, but California Governor Gavin Newsom ultimately vetoed it. He also accused OpenAI, which he founded with Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, of putting profits above principles to develop AI in ways that benefit humanity.
Former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Musk’s partner in the new Ministry of Government Efficiency, also called for close attention to the technology.
“Just as if you’re a chemical company and you don’t dump your chemicals into someone else’s river, if the AI algorithms you’re developing today have a negative impact on others, then you can’t dump them. You are responsible for that,” he said at a press conference last year. “I think AI can be used for many good purposes in this country. But there are also real risks.”
Mr. Musk and Mr. Ramaswamy also plan to make government more efficient through “rolling back regulations, reducing red tape and cutting costs,” they said in a Wall Street Journal op-ed this week.
It’s unclear whether that effort will impact their views on AI regulation. But some in the tech industry are hopeful that Mr. Musk’s influence over Mr. Trump will lead to deregulation and a more vibrant environment for tech startups.
Vice President-elect J.D. Vance is likely to be an ally of those who want deregulation. Vance, who spent just under five years in Silicon Valley as a venture capitalist and biotech executive, has advocated for less regulation of technology.
At a Senate Committee on Privacy hearing in July, Vance said Big Tech companies are too focused on new regulations around AI out of concern that the technology will destroy humanity. said. He said such regulations “could actually lock in our technology incumbents and actually make it harder for new entrants to create the innovations that will drive the next generation of American growth.” ” he said.
Those watching the new administration take shape say it is difficult to predict how the new administration will utilize AI.
“When it comes to President Trump’s policy decisions, there are few areas that are less predictable than AI right now,” said Calvin Newport, a Georgetown University computer science professor and author of several books on technology and work culture. wrote Insider in an email. “The next president will have J.D. Vance on one shoulder arguing that regulations hurt competitiveness with China and Elon Musk on the other, advocating for production against existential risks. No one knows which voice will prevail.”
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, who founded military drone startup White Stork, predicted President Trump would roll back regulations in a speech to celebrate the launch of his new book on AI and the future of the military. He said he is doing so.
“I think it’s fair to say that whatever trust and safety regulations we have in the United States are going to be very different and much later than I expected,” he said. “If you’re an entrepreneur trying to do something crazy, this is good news. If you’re worried about the dangers of these tools, this is not good news.”