Steve Schmidt, the Chief Security Officer of Amazon, stated in an interview with Bloomberg that excessive government regulation on artificial intelligence (AI) could hinder the rapid development of technology. This view is consistent with the opinions of senior executives from other large tech companies. Schmidt emphasized the importance of industry self-exploration and standard-setting, believing that the ultimate orientation should be based on customer needs. He mentioned, "Any form of regulation often hinders technological progress, so we prefer the industry to explore and establish appropriate standards on its own."
Image source note: The image was generated by AI, and the image licensing service provider is Midjourney.
Scmidt's remarks have sparked extensive discussions about AI regulation. Executives from Microsoft, OpenAI, AMD, and other companies also pointed out during their testimony at the U.S. Congress that regulatory restrictions hindered their growth and weakened their competitiveness in the AI race with China. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, stated that the U.S. needs a rational regulatory policy that will not slow down the pace of technological development.
Meanwhile, the U.S. government has taken some measures to relax regulations, withdrawing previously issued administrative orders related to AI and promoting a series of AI cooperation agreements in the Middle East. House Speaker Mike Johnson noted that these policies are closely related to national security and help the U.S. maintain its leading position in competition with China.
However, Senate rules may obstruct the passage of relevant provisions. According to regulations, only provisions involving fiscal budgets can bypass complex procedures for simple majority votes. Additionally, the Senate proposed an alternative plan, stating that if any state implements AI regulation, that state would be excluded from federal broadband project funding. This proposal still needs to be ruled on by the Senate rules official, and no conclusion has been reached yet.
In this context, Amazon is also increasing its investment in AI. The company recently announced it will invest up to $20 billion in building a new server park in Pennsylvania to support its AI computing needs. Schmidt's remarks and Amazon's actions indicate that technology companies will continue to strengthen their layout in the field of AI, and how to balance regulation and technological progress will become a key issue in the future.
Key points:
💡 Schmidt calls for reduced AI regulation, believing excessive intervention will hinder technological progress.
🤖 Executives from multiple tech companies stated that regulation limits their development and competitiveness.
🏗️ Amazon announced it will invest $20 billion in building an AI computing data center in Pennsylvania.