This content is drawn from a report authored by the AU Library's Artificial Intelligence Exploratory Working Group. You can read the groups full report covering the current state of AI and making recommendations to library leadership in the American University Research Archive.
Governmental efforts to regulate AI around the globe vary, probably not surprisingly, in their balance of commercial interest with protections of individuals and organizations. Some highlights from several major economies:
The EU, following in the footsteps of its General Data Protection Regulation in 2016 (European Union, 2016), set “a new global benchmark for countries seeking to harness the potential benefits of the technology, while trying to protect against its possible risks, like automating jobs, spreading misinformation online and endangering national security” with the passage of the Artificial Intelligence Act in the European Parliament in December 2023 (Satariano, 2023). However, it may not take full effect for one to two years, which is a long time given the breakneck speed of AI development.
The UK: “So far governments are taking three different approaches. At one end of the spectrum is Britain, which has proposed a “light-touch” approach with no new rules or regulatory bodies, but applies existing regulations to AI systems. The aim is to boost investment and turn Britain into an “AI superpower…” (“How to Worry Wisely about Artificial Intelligence,” 2023).
Likewise, Japan is holding back on strong regulation of AI, and a “… softer Japanese approach could dull EU efforts to establish its rules as a global benchmark …. The chair of the government's AI strategy council, The University of Tokyo's Prof. Yutaka Matsuo, called the EU's rules a "little too strict," saying it is "almost impossible" to specify copyrighted material used for deep learning.” (Nussey & Kelly, 2023)
China seeks to balance global competitiveness in AI development with controlling AI enough for the government to not risk decreased political control, similar to its worries about the nascent Internet in the 1990s. “Under its master plan China is to have written the world’s ethical code for AI by 2030. That is a stretch, but its rules on generative AI are more detailed and expansive than those suggested elsewhere, thus influencing the debate over handling the new technology. If China is quick to lay down new regulations, other countries will learn from it. One risk is that it moves too forcefully and hinders innovation.” (“Can Xi Jinping Control AI without Crushing It?,” 2023)
The USA: On Oct. 30, 2023, POTUS issued an Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence (White House, 2023) that directs various government agencies to take action. Of particular relevance to (higher) education: