When will Washington regulate artificial intelligence?

The closest approach in the US for regulating AI to date has been draft guidance to the heads of federal agencies issued by the Trump Administration in early 2020, which advocated a lighter regulatory touch and favored non-regulatory pilot programs. "Federal agencies must avoid regulatory or non-regulatory actions that needlessly hamper AI innovation and growth," warns the January 7, 2020, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memorandum to the heads of executive departments and agencies. The guidance further states, "Agencies must avoid a precautionary approach that holds AI systems to such an impossibly high standard that society cannot enjoy their benefits." And the Trump White House's request for comments on the guidance further emphasized this laissez-faire approach: "OMB guidance on these matters seeks to support the U.S. approach to free-market capitalism, federalism, and good regulatory practices (GRPs)."