Commentary: America can't afford to sit out the artificial intelligence race

The extent to which government regulates the creation of AI systems and their underlying algorithms will be critical, or potentially damaging, to those countries, companies and engineers racing toward the next AI application and economic breakthrough. It is easy to label this thinking as a "race to the bottom" or a "slippery slope," but the real concern should be whether the actual development of AI occurs with or without the best and brightest individuals in the room. If the right leadership is lacking or a negative narrative of AI prompts a regulatory minefield, it may push the best engineers away and sideline them when we need them most. Digital engineers in academia and industry are indeed capable of addressing the predominant challenges of AI in regards to bias, equality, privacy and explainability, but they can be more effective and work faster with focused resources and leadership.