This thinking-out-loud was triggered by an article in the September 2023 IEEE Spectrum: “Europe and China Solidify AI Regulation … Meanwhile the U.S. toys with nonbinding blueprints.”
Global technical standards are commonplace and have proved beneficial. Why not the same for regulations in the tech world, specifically data privacy, reducing AI risk, and social media controls.
I wonder why the US doesn’t just adopt the EU’s regulations.
Global tech suppliers will inevitably comply with EU regulations, simply because the EU is a big market.
Common EU/US regulations would be a trifecta for global suppliers: simplifying life, lowering costs, and speeding new product introduction.
Adopting EU regulations gives the US a “roughly right” solution now. By being sooner rather than later, it reduces risks and harms to Customers.
The first issue of new regulations is never perfect. There always unintended consequences not discovered until they are used in the real world. The EU and US can improve common EU/US regulations based on the learnings from a bigger market, a bigger living lab.
Such an approach saves everyone — elected representatives, lobbyists, regulatory agencies, tech suppliers’ regulatory affairs teams — time and money. I really don’t like cynicism … but you have to wonder.
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I also saw that Spectrum article, but as I read it, I didn’t feel qualified to have an opinion. You informed perspective sounds very reasonable to me. Thanks for sharing you thoughts.
Thx, Jim. You’re blog is really nice.