AI Regulation is a Balancing Act

Regulation of new and emerging technologies is a balancing act. On one hand, regulators want to protect people from possible harm. On the other hand, new technologies also can provide huge benefits for people, the environment, the economy, education and societies. 

So potential regulation of artificial intelligence will provide yet another case in point. Artists and actors worry about copyright. Educators worry about learning. Everyone worries about privacy and truthfulness. 

But observers see the potential for increasing firm efficiency and effectiveness, creating new and better products with better user and customer experience. 

So a balance must be struck, and the outlines of such a balancing act are not yet clear. 

There are many examples of how premature or excessive regulation has slowed the development or deployment of new technologies. For example, the development of genetically modified crops was slowed by concerns about their safety. However, many would argue these concerns have largely been allayed, and genetically modified crops are now widely used around the world.

On the other hand, light-touch regulation can sometimes allow new technologies to flourish. For example, the internet was largely unregulated in its early days, which allowed it to grow and develop rapidly. Today, the internet is one of the most important technologies in the world.

Technology	Regulation	Effect on Innovation	Effect on Deployment
Genetically modified crops	Strict regulations in some countries	Slowed the development and adoption of GM crops	Some countries have not adopted GM crops at all
Drones	Some countries have banned or restricted the use of drones	Slowed the development and adoption of drone technology	Some countries have seen rapid growth in the use of drones for commercial and recreational purposes
Self-driving cars	Some countries have imposed strict regulations on self-driving cars	Slowed the development and testing of self-driving car technology	Some countries have adopted more permissive regulations, which has allowed for more rapid development and testing
Artificial intelligence	Some countries have proposed regulations on AI that could stifle innovation	It is too early to say what the effect of AI regulation will be on innovation	Some countries have adopted light-touch regulations on AI, which has allowed for rapid innovation
Internet	Light-touch regulation	Flourished rapidly	Near-ubiquitous deployment