The policy of President Donald Trump has, thus far, sided with innovation, particularly with respect to artificial intelligence (AI). But of late, a safety-obsessed insurgency has arisen within the White House. Weeks of public statements and counterstatements, leaks and speculation, have at least yielded an executive order, published on June 2, which directs the creation of a “voluntary” program to vet “covered frontier models” for the purpose of maintaining cybersecurity. The order’s import and implications do not immediately reveal themselves. Indeed, its chief virtues and chief vices both lie in what the administration chose to omit. If Joe Biden seized AI by the throat and sprinted off down the road to serfdom, the 47th President is stepping forward deliberately and cautiously. Whether Trump walks the same road as his predecessor or some other one remains unclear. The order’s aims are sound, but its implementation will determine whether it will be a boon for the AI industry or a regulatory barrage against innovation.
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