This weekend, NetChoice submitted comments to the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) regarding the development of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Plan. In our submission, we recommend President Trump’s administration follow a pro-growth approach that emphasizes permissionless innovation and regulatory humility.
- Permissionless Innovation: New technologies should be allowed to develop freely unless there’s compelling evidence of serious harm.
- Regulatory Humility: Regulators should avoid attempting to predict all potential problems, instead focusing on targeted, incremental, and sector-specific approaches if issues emerge.
In the filing, we recommend 3 key actions for the Trump administration to take on AI policy:
- Rescind and Replace Biden’s Executive Order 14141: While Biden’s EO promised expedited permitting for AI infrastructure, it included too many unrelated policy requirements like union wage mandates and environmental reporting that would hinder development.
- Settle Antitrust Cases Against Leading AI Innovators: The current antitrust investigations against major tech companies are diverting resources and creating uncertainty that hinders AI investment and development.
- Roll Back Hart-Scott-Rodino Restrictions: Changes from the Biden administration to merger review procedures have created barriers to the mergers and acquisitions that fuel AI innovation and investment.
NetChoice also recommends some additional steps Congress and the White House to support American AI development:
- Pass a National Data Privacy Law: AI is data-dependent, but the current patchwork of state laws for data privacy creates significant compliance challenges. A single federal standard that preempts these laws would provide nationwide certainty while protecting consumers.
- Reinstate Full Expensing of Capital Investment and R&D: Tax incentives for immediate expensing of capital investments and R&D would encourage the substantial infrastructure and research investments AI requires.
- Embrace Existing Laws: Many current regulations already address AI concerns in specific sectors, such as healthcare, finance and education. A sectoral approach leveraging existing frameworks is more efficient than creating entirely new AI-specific regulations.
The United States must meet the challenge of global AI competition, particularly from China, by leveraging America’s historical strengths in innovation rather than creating excessive new regulations that will hinder our growth and development in this critical technology.