The success of AI depends on training data, whose process of collection may violate the end-users’ privacy if not done the right way. Privacy, therefore, should be one of the very first considerations when it comes to regulation of AI.
The New York Times recently published a post about how the US has started to pay serious attention to this matter. Last September, the Trump administration began working closely with the 36-nation Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to create international guidelines for the design and use of artificial intelligence. “We’re focused on promoting an international environment that supports A.I. research and development and ensures the technology is developed in a manner aligned with our nation’s core civil liberties and freedoms,” said Michael Kratsios, deputy assistant to the president for technology policy.
The specific goal on the US side is a federal law that will “harmonize” data privacy rules in the United States and mesh enough with the European standard to avoid a more splintered marketplace. In the same sprit, the AI World Society (AIWS) initiative of the Michael Dukakis Institute for Leadership and Innovation also focuses on promoting ethical norms and practices in AI. We have published the AIWS Ethics and Practices Index which measures the extent to which a government’s AI activities respect human values and contribute to the constructive use of AI. We hope to work with the US government on this important matter which unquestionably will affect the future of our nation.