The transatlantic AI divide

Washington and Brussels are both preparing for a future dominated by artificial intelligence -- but first, they need to get out of each other's way. Tech regulators on both sides of the Atlantic hope to prevent a split on AI rules like one seen on data privacy, where regulators in Europe got out ahead of their U.S. counterparts and sparked all kinds of havoc that continue to threaten transatlantic data flows. "There is a lot of interest to avoid having segmented approaches," said Elham Tabassi, chief of staff in the Information Technology Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. But regulators in the EU and U.S. are already taking different approaches to the multi-trillion-dollar transatlantic tech economy. The EU is plowing ahead with mandatory AI rules meant to safeguard privacy and civil rights while the U.S. focuses on voluntary guidelines.