Policy Archive

AI and data centers are incredibly unpopular in every poll

Richard LawlerSep 15

What if social media isn’t hurting kids?

Lauren FeinerSep 15

TC SottekSep 15

Barack Obama takes the middle way on AI.

AI commentary is frothy this week! Obama chimed in with a series of posts on X saying he’s neither an AI “accelerationist” nor a “doomer.” In a familiar tone from the former president, he cautioned that choices we make about technology “should not be made just by the companies involved, but by all of us.”

“We need government — and specifically our leaders in Washington — to get proactive in coming up with concrete proposals, laws, and regulations that deal with serious safety concerns,” Obama said.

President Obama’s post on X: I was encouraged this week to see the leaders of the frontier labs agree on the need for them to slow down the pace of AI development. Given the stakes, it’s a good and necessary first step. But I’m even more encouraged by the growing recognition that how this powerful new technology develops should be at the center of our public debate. I’ve been watching the progress on AI for over a decade now, and one thing that’s clear to me is that the potential impact of this technology is not overhyped. It’s also moving at lightning speed – and even faster than those who are engineering it can keep up with. I’m not an AI accelerationist who believes it will lead to some techno-utopia, and I’m not a doomer who thinks it will inevitably lead to humanity’s destruction.But whether this technology results in amazing breakthroughs in medicine, energy and education or unleashes huge economic disruptions, greater inequality, and potential catastrophe will depend on the choices that we make right now – choices that should be made not just by the companies involved, but by all of us.

TC SottekSep 15

Can Verge readers beat the national average?

I was dismayed to discover only 9% of US adults answered all eight questions correctly in the Pew Research Center’s basic quiz on the First Amendment. How well can you do? Hint: it’s a leash on government restriction of speech. With that, I’m sure you’ll score better than Brendan Carr.

Quiz: How much do you know about the First Amendment?

[Pew Research Center]

Thomas RickerSep 15

The US now has weapons in space.

It’s the first official confirmation, delivered by Air Force Secretary Troy E. Meink:

“We are increasing readiness against existing threats, and the United States has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action.”

It’s like the race to build self-improving superintelligence before the other guy does, only with space guns. Meink apparently never saw Gravity.

Is Big Tech’s AI slowdown a safety pact or a cartel?

Major AI companies want to ‘pace the frontier’ — but their proposed solutions need real teeth.

Hayden FieldSep 14

What execs and politicians are saying about slowing down AI development

Jay PetersSep 14

Trump throws out power plant climate pollution rules

Justine CalmaSep 14

Jensen Huang puts Trump on speakerphone onstage to announce robots won’t take over the world

Jay PetersSep 14

TC SottekSep 14

“I alone can fix it” strikes again.

Trump may have lost the aggression of David Sacks as AI czar, but he’s now picking up the baton. In another all-timer posted to Truth Social, Trump says the only guardrails AI needs can be provided by his “high IQ.” This comes right on the heels of AI leaders, including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, who Trump maligns in his post, stating they want to slow down AI development for safety reasons.

Opposing AI and data centers? That could now make you look “treasonous” in Trump’s warped world.

Trump post to Truth Social: “The only control or “guardrails” that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT, and the U.S.A. has that, in spades! The Trump Administration has stopped AI “people” from doing bad, or potentially bad, “things,“ like Dario (Anthropic!), who is now pretending to be a “perfect little angel” - and we will continue to do so! We already have tremendous CRIMINAL and REGULATORY power over these companies! There is a SICK conspiracy going on against AI and Data Centers, and the only one that is happy about it is China. WHOEVER WINS AI, WINS! We are leading China, and all others, and will continue to do so. Conspiracy Theorists, Treasonists, Traitors, and Leakers, BEWARE! Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP”

What happens after a town de-Flocks

Gaby Del ValleSep 14

Thomas RickerSep 14

China: AI CEOs are “fear mongering.”

When asked about the flurry of weekend blog posts and tweets from the CEOs of Anthropic, OpenAI, Microsoft, SpaceX, (and Alphabet’s Hassabis) calling for a coordinated slowdown on the development of advanced AI models, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry said, “Fear mongering, confrontation, competition will just disrupt [the] process of global AI governance.”

That partially aligns with Trump’s view that the execs are overreacting and “bringing up things that won’t happen,” but at least Beijing supports international regulation.

China says AI CEOs' call for a slowdown is 'fear mongering'

[CNBC]

Terrence O'BrienSep 13

The NSA is reorganizing with an increased focus on AI, China, and cybersecurity.

According to The Washington Post, the spy agency is set to undergo its largest restructuring in over a decade. Army general and NSA director Joshua M. Rudd is leading the effort. According to the Post:

Rudd’s initiative calls for the creation at NSA’s Fort Meade, Maryland, headquarters of five new organizations inside the agency, in artificial intelligence, China, cybersecurity, combat support or warfighting, and global intelligence. Each will be led by a newly elevated “mission director” …

National Security Agency launches historic restructuring

[The Washington Post]