NEW YORK, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- With artificial intelligence (AI) at a pivotal moment of development, the U.S. federal government is about to transition from one that prioritized AI safeguards to one more focused on eliminating red tape, reported The Associated Press (AP) on Thursday.
"That's a promising prospect for some investors but creates uncertainty about the future of any guardrails on the technology, especially around the use of AI deepfakes in elections and political campaigns," the report noted.
President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to rescind President Joe Biden's sweeping AI executive order, which sought to protect people's rights and safety without stifling innovation. He hasn't specified what he would do in its place, but the platform of the Republican National Committee, which he recently reshaped, said AI development should be "rooted in Free Speech and Human Flourishing."
"It's an open question whether Congress, soon to be fully controlled by Republicans, will be interested in passing any AI-related legislation," said the report. Interviews with a dozen lawmakers and industry experts reveal there is still interest in boosting the technology's use in national security and cracking down on non-consensual explicit images.
"Yet the use of AI in elections and in spreading misinformation is likely to take a backseat as GOP lawmakers turn away from anything they view as potentially suppressing innovation or free speech," it added. ■
