Should the AI Revolution Be Regulated? President Obama Thinks So

Last month, President Barack Obama sat down with WIRED's Editor-in-Chief and MIT Media Lab director Joi Ito to discuss the government's role in the ongoing artificial intelligence revolution. While President Obama is sure that Washington has a critical part to play -- particularly in regulating AI to protect the American labor force -- it is equally important that its involvement doesn't stymie the development and implementation of the technology, he says. When it comes to regulating AI, the president believes that government involvement should be limited, especially during its earlier stages of research and development. "The way I've been thinking about the regulatory structure as AI emerges is that, early in a technology, a thousand flowers should bloom," Obama tells WIRED. "The government should add a relatively light touch, investing heavily in research and making sure there's a conversation between basic research and applied research."