Deregulation – led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency – has been at the forefront of arguing for cuts to scientific grants. The scientific community is understandably up in arms about this decision. They argue that it will “stifle and impede” advancement in key fields of study. These proposals were opposed by the Data Center Coalition and other stakeholder groups. They feel that these cuts would limit the innovation necessary for the U.S. to remain competitive as AI development continues to evolve.
Musk joined David Sacks for their Twitter Spaces Discussion to wildly and baselessly assert that certain chatbots, including ChatGPT, censor conservative opinions. All along they have called attention to this issue. Sacks specifically pointed to ChatGPT as being “untruthful about politically sensitive subjects,” intensifying the scrutiny on AI ethics and transparency.
In an encouraging policy move, President Trump just reversed former President Joe Biden’s AI Executive Order. The order directed the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to develop new guidance for detecting biases in AI models. It further charged them with identifying strategies to mitigate biases inherent to these models. Trump’s administration appears to be restructuring the U.S. government’s approach to AI, focusing on a framework that emphasizes “human flourishing, economic competitiveness, and national security.”
President Trump has led the charge to build an American AI policy dream team. This step indicates his strong commitment to driving AI regulations ahead. In March, the Senate confirmed Michael Kratsios to serve as the new director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). Previously, he worked on AI policy at the start of Trump’s first term.
Sriram Krishnan has recently been appointed as the White House’s senior policy advisor for AI. His new role will include steering conversations about how to regulate AI and making sure the administration’s approach stacks up with its broader objectives. Critics are quick to make the argument that Trump’s new AI Action Plan misses the mark by ignoring AI discrimination altogether. That’s a major point of emphasis in Biden’s proposal. This has caused even deeper anger from advocates of more inclusive and equitable AI policies.
The Trump administration’s AI Action Plan has already garnered over 10,000 comments from various stakeholders, including individuals, industry groups, and local governments. All the respondents were concerned with the possible consequences of defunding science and moving towards industry priorities in AI regulation.
As xAI, Musk’s AI company, continues to navigate these rapidly changing developments, he’ll find it hard to develop a chatbot that is still “free from ideological bias.” On the flip side, the company’s chatbot Grok may soon be entering an “unhinged mode.” If approved, this development would deepen the already heated discourse around AI and claims of bias against society.
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