US regulation of artificial intelligence
Ravit Dotan · Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks · 2024
This chapter systematically analyzes trends in AI regulation efforts in the United States (US) by examining federal bills, state bills, and executive orders spanning several decades. It investigates the volume of regulatory efforts, targeted sectors and technologies, regulatory requirements, AI ethics themes, and potential partisanship in regulation efforts. The analysis reveals a significant increase in AI regulation efforts over time, particularly spiking in 2023, with a focus on the public sector, especially national security organizations. Non-public sectors such as HR and finance also receive attention, primarily addressing employment discrimination and underwriting practices. Certain AI technologies, including social media algorithms, facial recognition, and generative AI, are targeted by specific bills. The predominant AI ethics themes center around improving AI capabilities, fairness, data rights, and national security, although human oversight and explainability receive limited attention. Democrats exhibit greater activity in introducing AI bills compared to Republicans, particularly at the state level, with differing emphases on AI ethics themes. The paper's structure includes methodology explanation, analysis results, and a summary highlighting gaps in US AI regulation efforts and a brief comparison to the European Union and the United Kingdom.