Diving Headfirst Into The Google Newly Released ‘AI Governance In America’ Framework - Forbes

Google has unveiled its 'AI Governance in America' framework, featuring a proposed Frontier AI Regulatory Organization (FARO) to fill the 'current void in federal oversight.' Because nothing says 'trust us' quite like the fox designing the henhouse and then offering to manage the henhouse's inspection schedule. The search giant, whose entire business model relies on vacuuming up data and selling ads against it, now wants to define what 'responsible' AI looks like. How generous of them to step up where Congress has failed — almost as if they'd rather set the rules themselves than have them set by, say, actual regulators with teeth.

FARO is presented as 'independent,' which in corporate parlance usually means 'independent enough to look good on a press release but conveniently aligned with our interests.' Google has a long history of proposing industry self-regulation right before regulators get serious — remember their 'Don't Be Evil' motto? That aged about as well as a carton of milk in a server room. The framework is classic Big Tech manoeuvring: look proactive, preempt meaningful oversight, and ensure that any actual enforcement remains about as effective as a chocolate teapot.

But let's be fair — the U.S. does have a void in federal AI oversight, and Google's proposal is at least an attempt to fill it. A desperately needed conversation about governance is happening, and Google has thrown its hat in the ring. The danger, of course, is that the company writing the proposal also gets to write the final rules. Still, maybe FARO will be the real deal. And maybe pigs will fly out of Larry Page's private island. We'll believe it when we see a regulator who isn't a former Google executive.