Starting With Private Sector Commitments Will Help the US Strike the Right Balance on Managing AI Risks, Says Center for Data Innovation

WASHINGTON— In response to the White House’s announcement that seven American AI companies have agreed to voluntary commitments to address AI risks, Daniel Castro, director of the Center for Data Innovation, and Hodan Omaar, senior policy analyst at the Center, issued the following statement:

It’s heartening to see the Biden administration work collaboratively with the private sector to manage AI risks. All of the leading U.S. tech companies have made clear their commitment to building safe, secure, and trustworthy AI. Given the fast pace of development of this technology, soft law approaches, such as these voluntary commitments, can be created and refined much faster than hard law proposals, such as new laws and regulations.

By working hand-in-hand with industry experts who are at the front lines of developing this technology, policymakers can provide responsible oversight of frontier AI models without hindering innovation. The administration should continue to work with a wide variety of stakeholders to fine-tune these commitments as the technology and potential risks evolve. Moreover, the Biden administration should encourage its global allies, especially the European Union, to follow its lead and avoid heavy-handed regulations that would unnecessarily hurt U.S. businesses, such as the proposed EU AI Act.

For more on this issue, see:

• Daniel Castro, “Ten Principles for Regulation That Does Not Harm AI Innovation” (Center for Data Innovation, 2023)
• Daniel Castro, “Critics of Generative AI Are Worrying About the Wrong IP Issues” (Center for Data Innovation, 2023)
• Hodan Omaar, “Where Should U.S. AI Policy Be Headed Next?” (Center for Data Innovation, 2023)
• Hodan Omaar, “U.S. AI Policy Report Card” (Center for Data Innovation, 2022)