By 2-to-1 margin, voters nationwide want Congress to regulate AI, not leave it up to tech companies
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, The Tech Oversight Project released a nationwide survey conducted by Change Research showing that a majority of Americans support swift Congressional action to regulate AI, and that by a 2-to-1 margin, voters trust Congress to administer those safeguards, not tech companies. The results come amid increased pressure from the White House and civil society organizations for Congress to act quickly to protect the American people, on the day of a White House convening of tech companies on the subject of artificial intelligence, and on the heels of a New York Times opinion piece from FTC Chair Lina Khan calling for the need to regulate AI.
“While the new technology of artificial intelligence — and the public’s understanding of it — is evolving rapidly, it is deeply telling that a majority of Americans do not trust Big Tech to prioritize safety and regulate it, and by a two-to-one margin want Congress to act,” said Kyle Morse, Deputy Executive Director of the Tech Oversight Project. “Our concern is that tech giants will seize upon this emerging technology to even further cement their monopoly power and prevent competition on the internet, jeopardizing our data security and online privacy in the process. We are heading toward a point of no return, and the American people are calling for Congress to act before it’s too late.”
Findings:
- By a 2-to-1 margin, voters prefer that Congress (41%), rather than the tech companies (20%) be the driving force behind policies and regulations.
- 54% believe that Congress should take swift action to regulate AI in a way that promotes privacy, fairness, and safety, and ensures maximum benefit to society with minimal risks.
- Only 15% of Americans believe that regulating AI will somehow stifle innovation.
- 1-in-3 Americans are still making up their minds, showing how public policy will shape public opinion.
- There is no significant difference between voters in each party – Democrats favor Congressional action by a 42% to 22% margin, and Republicans prefer it by a 43% to 17% margin.
Recent Actions:
- Today, the White House met with the CEOs of Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI to discuss artificial intelligence risks.
- The White House is convening the executives after President Biden warned that companies have a responsibility to make sure AI products are safe before they’re released, the Washington Post reported.
- Yesterday, Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan published an opinion piece in the New York Times to lay out the case for protecting consumers and ensuring competition in this developing space.
- This week, the New York Times published an interview with Google’s “The Godfather of A.I.” warning that we are racing toward danger with Big Tech’s aggressive campaign to create products based on generative artificial intelligence, the technology that powers popular chatbots like ChatGPT.
- Last month, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer laid out a framework for regulating artificial intelligence anchored around the identification of who trained the algorithm and who its intended audience is, the disclosure of its data source, an explanation for how it arrives at its responses, and transparent and strong ethical boundaries.