The GOP’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” is primarily intended to deal with the federal government’s budget. However, numerous far-reaching proposals have been added to this bill, and some of these proposals have nothing to do with the budget.
Perhaps most shockingly, the bill grants AI companies, both large and small, significant freedom in various ways. Many Americans are deeply concerned about AI, especially given its rapid and seemingly overnight advancements.
Despite expressing concerns about AI, various Republican politicians have continued to push for this bill, even though it would prohibit state governments from regulating AI for the next decade.
States Cannot Regulate AI Under New Bill
If Congress successfully passes this budget bill, states won’t be able to regulate AI at a local level for the next 10 years. Instead, states will have to wait for the federal government to pass a regulation. However, these federal regulations might never come.
According to the supporters of the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” this moratorium on AI regulation would help American tech companies continue to develop artificial intelligence without having to worry about regulations. President Donald Trump has been a big advocate for AI technology being developed locally, perhaps because some of his largest donors are tech bros who are deeply invested in the AI world.
To say that this proposal is incredibly dangerous is an understatement. If AI companies can do whatever they want without fear of regulation, then American consumers will be the ones hurting the most. We already have kids falling in love with chatbots and analysts sounding the alarm about fake AI videos being spread as news. Why wouldn’t we want to have the opportunity to regulate AI before it spirals out of control?
The Push for AI Regulation
Since ChatGPT was first released in late 2022, critics have argued that governments around the world need to start thinking about AI regulation. At the time, OpenAI’s offering was the most advanced artificial intelligence ever created, and many worried the technology could quickly spiral out of control.
Only a few years later, we’re now living in a world with various AI companies, even more amazing technologies, and no regulation. Former President Joe Biden previously introduced an AI Bill of Rights, which would have allowed state agencies to investigate how AI may impact our society. That bill is now defunct.
Meanwhile, critics have stated that laws and regulations could help with some of the negative aspects of the growing technology. For example, these regulations could fight back against disinformation and deepfakes, as well as scams that utilize AI.
While the European Union has passed the first-ever regulation on AI, the U.S. still doesn’t have any comprehensive law protecting Americans from the dangers of AI. According to the UN, the need for global AI regulation is “irrefutable.”
What Happened to State Rights?
Of course, it’s almost too easy to point out that the GOP is typically the major party advocating for states’ rights. According to Republicans in Congress, states should have the right to govern themselves—except, evidently, when it comes to AI regulation.
Instead of allowing individual states to pass AI regulations based on what their communities desire, the GOP is saying that state governments now must follow what the federal government does. This is completely different from what the GOP has been saying for the last four years.
Once again, we have a Republican Party that doesn’t seem to have any set value system. Instead, the party is just going wherever Trump and his billionaire buddies go.
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