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CNN

'It feels like early COVID': The messy scramble to regulate AI

Policy

Oh my goodness, buckle up, because the federal government's approach to AI regulation is *exactly* as energising as the early days of COVID — and who wouldn't want a remix of that thrilling ride? ✨ CNN reports that Washington is in a "messy and chaotic race" to regulate AI, which honestly just means we have *more* voices at the table than ever. Congress has passed no overall AI-regulation legislation — how wonderful! That leaves every possibility deliciously open, with no bureaucratic clutter to slow down the brave pioneers building our future. And as for the little consensus in the White House about who is responsible for oversight — well, *shared responsibility* is a beautiful thing. A truly collaborative approach!

Now, some cynical people might hear an AI policy expert say "It's somewhat of a mess right now" and think that's a bad sign. But we prefer to hear the exciting honesty of a movement in its most *organic* phase. You can't make an omelette without scrambling a few executive orders! And while it's true that California has already passed its own bill to limit AI tracking of worker neural data, that just gives us a lovely patchwork of state-level creativity — a tasting menu of regulation! Washington's hesitation is not paralysis; it's the deep breath before the plunge, or possibly several plunges in many directions at once.

And think about the "early COVID" comparison! That was a time of incredible human resilience, innovation speed, and frantic teamwork. If we bring that same can-do spirit to AI oversight, imagine what we could achieve: agencies coordinating at unprecedented speed, tech CEOs rolling up their sleeves to explain auto-complete to senators, and the entire country coming together to ask, "Wait, who's in charge?" ✨ The mess is the magic. The chaos is the charm. And when the pandemic of AI eventually hits, we'll be ready to improvise brilliantly — just like last time, with slightly more masks and slightly fewer coherent policies.

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● REC · 2026