QOTD: “Where Lies the Right Balance Between AI Innovation and Regulations?”

Sacha Mio
3 min readJul 23, 2024

--

A short reflection on the current rapid growth of AI and how governments and politicians have different views on regulating it.

Kamala Harris at the UK Artificial Intelligence Safety Summit in November 2023. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)

As I woke up this morning, an article on Yahoo titled “1 business world concern that is already a focus for Kamala Harris: AI” piqued my curiosity.

Initially, I sought to understand her stance on regulating and controlling AI innovation, which is advancing at unprecedented speeds. I wanted to know whether she supports regulation and how her views compare to those of Donald Trump.

Even though I found some answers, new questions arose. Today’s article delves into this specific “Question of the Day (QOTD)” without bias.

Growth, Speed & Control

We’ve seen it before: a new technology comes out, gets a lot of media attention, and becomes part of our daily lives. Think about the rise of computers, the launch of the internet, smartphones, or more recently, cryptocurrencies.

But this time, it feels different and much faster. AI is growing at record speeds, and even if governments and conscientious business leaders try to control it, are they truly capable?

President Joe Biden hands Vice President Kamala Harris the pen he used to sign an executive order regarding artificial intelligence at the White House on October 30 in Washington. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

If you’ve read or heard about the book “AI 2041,” you’ll see in the introduction that it’s currently impossible to control and regulate everything. The nature of innovation creates open gaps and grey zones.

Perhaps the question is: How fast can we regulate behind innovation?

Timing & Efficiency

If you think this article will provide the definitive answer, it won’t. Raising the right questions and exploring possible paths to answers is the best approach for now. There’s too much data to analyze and too many different viewpoints.

Historically, innovations I mentioned earlier went from being political concerns to actively being used for greater efficiency. Wouldn’t this suggest that, instead of stopping innovation, we should embrace it and use it to our advantage? Perhaps AI could be the solution to bridging the gap between innovation and regulation. Speed and efficiency are, after all, two of AI’s main advantages over humans.

Balancing Personal Interests with Public Safety

Vice President Kamala Harris delivers an address on Artificial Intelligence policy on Nov. 1, 2023, in London. (Carl Court/Getty Images)

I understand that some may believe it’s not about doing the right thing; it’s about money and power. While there’s truth to that, and financial motives initially sparked my interest in this topic, these processes take time, and it’s worth contemplating.

The truth is, there is no fixed middle point or balance. It’s constantly shifting and evolving. Protecting people and ensuring we control technology before it controls us should be a priority.

Not everyone is either pro-AI at any cost or against it out of fear. There are those who want the best for society and innovate to improve our lives. We cannot stop innovation, even if we wanted to; it’s in human nature to evolve. This often comes with significant setbacks, and our role today is to find the smartest way forward.

The balance between AI innovation and regulation is an ongoing, dynamic process. As we navigate this rapidly advancing field, we must prioritize proactive regulation, embrace the benefits of AI, and remain vigilant to protect society. The conversation is just beginning, and it’s crucial to keep asking the right questions and exploring viable solutions.

Thanks for reading!

Feel free to share your thoughts about this article in the comments below!

--

--

Sacha Mio

I love writing and sharing about everything I experience. From mental well-being, entrepreneurship, ideas & visions, mindsets and personal challenges.