A recent poll conducted by the AI Policy Institute (AIPI) in June reveals that the majority of US voters prioritize safe AI usage over competition with China. The poll, which surveyed a large sample of voters, highlights the growing concerns about AI development and the need for regulations to ensure its safe and responsible use. The findings indicate that 75% of both Republicans and Democrats believe that implementing rules and regulations on AI tools to prevent their use by terrorists and foreign adversaries would enhance US progress in AI. Additionally, 50% of respondents support safety restrictions on AI tools rather than slowing down AI development, while only 25% believe the US should prioritize fast development to compete with China. The poll also reveals that 63% of US voters consider it risky to export AI tools to US adversaries and believe it should be illegal.
China has made significant progress in AI development, with 38,000 GenAI patents registered in the past few years, compared to the USA's 6,300 patents. CEOs and lobbyists in the tech industry argue that excessive regulations on AI tools would give China an advantage. However, the poll results show that US voters are more concerned about the safe and responsible use of AI than competing with China. This highlights the need for policymakers to address these concerns and interests while developing regulations for AI.
The lack of proper AI regulations in the USA has prompted policymakers to consider how to transition to a digital economy and then an AI economy while addressing the concerns and interests of all stakeholders. The poll results provide valuable insights into the preferences of US voters and emphasize the importance of prioritizing the safe and responsible use of AI over competition with China.
A recent opinion piece in The Washington Post by Sam Altman highlights the urgent question of who will control the future of AI. Altman argues that the United States and allied nations must advance a global AI that spreads the technology's benefits and opens access to it, rather than allowing authoritarian regimes to use AI to cement and expand their power. Altman references Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's warning that the country that wins the AI race will "become the ruler of the world," and China's aim to become the global leader in AI by 2030. Altman proposes that the United States needs a U.S.-led global coalition of like-minded countries and an innovative new strategy to ensure a future built to benefit the most people. He suggests four key actions: crafting robust security measures, building infrastructure, investing in human capital, and developing a coherent commercial diplomacy policy for AI. Altman also emphasizes the importance of exploring new models for establishing norms in developing and deploying AI, with a focus on safety and including historically marginalized nations. He believes that democratic AI has a lead over authoritarian AI and that it is crucial to ensure that the democratic vision for AI prevails [707c0844].
A new wave of government data collection has revealed that Americans want privacy to go down. According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, 61% of Americans believe that the government should be able to monitor everyone's online activities in order to prevent terrorism. The survey also found that 63% of Americans believe that the government should be able to access encrypted communications to investigate crimes. However, there is still a significant portion of the population that values privacy. The survey found that 37% of Americans believe that the government should not be able to monitor everyone's online activities, and 35% believe that the government should not be able to access encrypted communications. The findings of this survey highlight the ongoing debate between privacy and security in the digital age.