Here’s a rewritten version with a more provocative tone:
“Regulators, You’re Sucking the Life Out of AI: Don’t Stifle the Technology Before It Even Has a Chance to Breathe
Some countries are frantically rushing to regulate Artificial Intelligence, but experts warn that this could be a major mistake. “Artificial Intelligence is still in its infancy, and we’re suffocating it before it even has a chance to grow up,” says Bronwyn Howell, a telecommunications and public policy researcher at the University of Victoria, Wellington. “We’re using the same old thinking to regulate a technology that’s fundamentally different from anything that’s come before it.”
Howell’s words echo those of Johan Steyn, a proponent of human-centered AI, who argues that regulatory bodies are underestimating the potential impact of AI on our lives. “Imagine if, after we learned how to split the atom, we had to wait until we could harness its power to create nuclear energy and weapons before we started regulating it. That would have been a recipe for disaster,” Steyn warns.
Andile Ngcaba, chairman of Convergence Partners, agrees with Steyn, saying that regulatory bodies must be careful not to stifle innovation with overly broad strokes.
But what exactly does “generative AI” promise that’s so different? For starters, it can change its own programming without human intervention. That means it’s hard to predict how it will behave, a fact that some experts find both thrilling and terrifying. “Imagine having an AI that can learn, grow, and change without human intervention,” says Steyn. “That’s a world in which we’re unlikely to find ourselves – or is it?”
And yet, regulators like the EU’s AI Act are already tackling the issue head-on. Meanwhile, experts in the field are pushing for a different approach, one that recognizes the unique challenges and opportunities presented by AI.
So, should we be regulating AI with a stick or a carrot? Should we be focusing on the benefits of AI, like increased productivity, more efficient healthcare, or personalized education? Or is the answer somewhere in between? As the world hurtles towards an uncertain future, one thing is certain: we must get this right – or risk suffocating the very technology that could change our lives forever.”
