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

CNN reports that Washington is in a messy and chaotic race to regulate artificial intelligence. The report says Congress has passed no overall AI-regulation legislation, and there is little consensus within the White House on which part of the federal government is responsible for AI oversight. An AI policy expert told the network, "It's somewhat of a mess right now." The comment was included in a report that depicts the federal response as fragmented and lacking a clear lead. The expert's quote was given as part of a broader assessment of the current state of federal AI policy.

According to CNN, the absence of a comprehensive federal AI law means no single agency is clearly in charge of governing the technology. The expert's statement is used to illustrate the disorder that currently defines AI policy in Washington. The reporting describes disagreements among officials as a significant obstacle to any unified approach. The comparison to COVID is used to convey a sense of urgency and unpreparedness.

The report notes that the lack of consensus extends to the executive branch, where different departments have not agreed on who should take the lead. No specific legislation or named agency is mentioned in the excerpt as having clear jurisdiction. The CNN article is one of a series of recent reports examining the gap between the speed of AI development and the slower pace of government action. The expert's blunt assessment leaves the impression that, for now, the regulatory landscape for AI in the U.S. remains unresolved. The article does not indicate when any federal legislation might be introduced.