US Election Issue: Artificial Intelligence
Facts
- OVERVIEW: According to Stanford University's 2024 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Index Report, in 2023 the US led in producing 'notable' machine learning models (61) and foundation models (109), and ranked second in AI patents (21%) in 2022. The report also highlights an increase in US government AI spending from $1.38B in 2018 to $3.33B in 2023. According to the US Bureau of Economic Analysis, America’s digital economy accounted for 10% of US GDP in 2022, contributing approximately $2.6T and employing 8.9M individuals.[1][2][3][4]
- CURRENT STATE: An April report from Pres. Joe Biden's independent President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) claimed AI has the 'potential to revolutionize our ability to address humanity's most urgent challenges,' but warns risks like misinformation, bias, and misuse must be addressed. In tandem, a document by the Bipartisan Senate AI Working Group emphasizes AI's possibility to 'radically alter human capacity and knowledge' while also presenting 'doomsday scenario' risks.[5][6]
- AI AS AN ELECTION ISSUE: According to an Elon University survey, 78% of Americans believe AI will be misused to influence the 2024 election, with 36% of Republicans and 14% of Democrats believing AI systems are biased against them. Edelman's 2024 Trust Barometer Report shows 56% of respondents think innovation is poorly managed in the US, with 63% lacking confidence in government regulation of 'emerging innovations.' Right-leaning respondents (59%) are more opposed to AI technology than left-leaning ones (51%)[7][8]
- DEMOCRAT PLEDGES: The 2024 Democratic Party Platform highlights AI's potential and the urgent need to 'act now and act fast' to ensure it serves the public interest. Building on the Biden administration's initiatives like the AI Bill of Rights, the AI Safety Institute, and an Executive Order for AI safety, the platform commits to further advocacy for 'safe and secure development.' This includes increased investment in the AI Safety Institute, a ban on voice impersonations, and enhanced protection in critical sectors such as healthcare, financial services, housing, transportation, and education.[9][10][11][12][13][14]
- REPUBLICAN PLEDGES: The 2024 GOP Platform vows to repeal the Biden administration's AI Executive Order, claiming the legislation 'imposes radical leftwing ideas.' The party further claims that it supports AI development 'rooted in Free Speech and Human Flourishing.' In a March 2024 X post, Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance warned that while AI poses risks, one of the biggest threats is a 'partisan group of crazy people' using AI to spread left-wing bias in the information economy.[15][16]
Sources: [1]aiindex.stanford.edu, [2]apps.bea.gov, [3]bea.gov, [4]jec.senate.gov, [5]whitehouse.gov, [6]young.senate.gov, [7]edelman.com, [8]Today at Elon, [9]Democrats (a), [10]Democrats (b), [11]The White House (a), [12]NIST, [13]The White House (b), [14]Democrats (c), [15]The American Presidency Project and [16]X.
Narratives
- Democratic narrative, as provided by Tech Policy Press and CNN. Over the past four years, largely steered by Kamala Harris, the White House has balanced a pro-innovation, anti-risk approach to AI, gaining Silicon Valley's support and helping ease credible concerns over the technology's potential dangers. Trump and JD Vance — whose background is in Big Tech finance — want to strip America of AI regulation, leaving prospective technology entrepreneurs at the whim of corporations without safety measures.
- Republican narrative, as provided by Federalist. The Biden administration’s approach to AI is driven by a woke and oppressive ideology, using fears of existential threats not to protect people, but to maintain centralized control over transformative technology. Instead of using AI to lower public spending, Democrats seek to impose totalitarian 'equity' goals, pushing a left-wing, radical agenda under the guise of safety.
- Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Quartz, EurekAlert! and MIT Technology Review. America must wake up to the very real existential risk that AI poses to the world if we let it slip out of our control. As Big Tech and the Pentagon continue to push for AI research at a breathtaking pace, there is little proof that we have the capacity to protect society from the host of plausible AI dangers if the technology is pushed too far, too soon. AI can and will be a force for good if developed at a sensible speed with appropriate safety measures in place, but it is up to us to recognize and mitigate these threats before it's too late.