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At the end of “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800 character is lowered into the molten metaltoprevent his processing chip from falling into the wrong hands. As the Terminator goes under, he gives the iconic thumbs up.
The Terminator and other fake robots andAIs should stay in that molten pit and out oftoday’spublicpolicydiscussions aboutAI.
Policymakers should not reference or relyonfictional scenarios as reasonstoregulateAI. Otherwise, America risks losing its global leadonAIand American citizens could never realize the full benefits of the technology.
Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.” (CBS)
Although the comparisons are inaccurate, there is an appeal.
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Stories and myths are coretowho we are as human beings and referencestostoriestograb and hold attention are a deeply human trait. They create a shared narrative and are a reference point we can all understand.
Even though they’ve likelyusedAI, most people have likely not thought aboutAIexcept in the context ofsciencefiction, which makes referencestostories a tempting communication technique.
However, that tendency does not make it helpful and it’s likely harmful.
VideoSettingpolicybasedonfictionalAIcharacters and scenarios can result in regulations that are detached from actual conditions, hindering potential positiveuses ofAIin the real world.
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A prominent example of this error recently came from the White House.
Accordingtoreporting by theAssociated Press:
“At Camp Davidone weekend, [the president] relaxed by watching theTom Cruise film ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning PartOne.’ The film’s villain is a sentient and rogueAIknown as “the Entity” that sinks a submarine and kills its crew in the movie’s opening minutes. ‘If he hadn’t already been concerned about what could go wrong withAIbefore that movie, he saw plenty moretoworry about,’ said [deputy White House chief of staff Bruce] Reed, who watched the film with the president.”
VideoAfter, in late October 2023, he signed a sweeping executive orderonAI – which is the third largest executive order in American history and meanttocurb badusecases ofAIsystems.
In a July 2023Senate hearingonregulatingAI, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., equatedfictionwith fact when he said there’s an urgent needtoregulateAIbecause, “The future is notsciencefictionor fantasy, it’s not even the future, it’s here and now.”
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It’s unclear whatsciencefictionscenario he had in mind other than a vague notion ofAIas a “scary” technology, as he said earlier in that same opening statement.
It is difficulttofind apublicpolicysector that invokesfictionas much as technologypolicy.Sciencefictionand fantasy scenarios seem like an odd fit for discussions about financial regulation, tax law, health care and agriculture.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Edward Furlong and Linda Hamilton in “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” which was released in 1991. (CBS via Getty Images)
The exceptions are perhaps energypolicy, defense and homeland security, and biotech and bio-ethics.
Publicpolicyat all levels should be basedonfact, notfiction. InvokingfictionalAIis like comparing a teddy beartoa grizzly bear: they resemble each other but have capabilities so different it’s not even worth the comparison.
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Almost everyfictional depiction of anAIsystem operates off of energy and material resources that don’t exist and at best are entirely theoretical. We don’t craftpoliciesbasedonmagical abilities or scenarios from Harry Potter, likewise we should steer clear offictionalAIguiding ourpublicpolicy.
Fake scenarios should not guide reality because, if they do, then the benefits ofAIand other innovations could never come about.
VideoAnd the benefits are enormous.
Analysts atPwCestimateAIwill add $15.7 trilliontothe global economy by 2030. GenerativeAIsystemsfounda waytofight antibiotic resistant bacteria. We can all expect higher quality, more personalized videoentertainmentandeducationalopportunities fromAIsystems.
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All of these benefits would impact all demographics and income levels so those with the lowest incomes standtobenefit the most.
Craftingpolicythat’s not based in reality will mean we have badpolicywith negative effects in the real world.AIis already boosting productivity and as systems develop and suffuse more economic activity, economic growth will rise.
VideoIf laws are crafted in ordertopreventsciencefictionscenarios, then those benefits are at serious risk of never comingtobe.
Policymakers should keepfictionalAIout of the state Capitols and halls of Congress and leave it where it belongs: in the movies and books we love.
An abundant future that surpasses our imagination is at stake.
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Taylor Barkley is the director of public policy at the Abundance Institute.
