AI Developments

Artificial Intelligence is all over the news lately, for a variety of reasons – both good and bad. Various governmental entities, particularly in the states, are looking hard at preventing it from being used as a tool for discrimination or malfeasance. With the amount of emphasis the Chinese are putting into AI development, the hope is that the American efforts are not too little, too late. On the state front, Texas, California and New York are leading the state efforts, while the US House of Representatives has formed an AI task force; that task force has released what is termed a “comprehensive report” regarding AI regulations and optimization.  

The worry for US companies is that this bureaucratic approach may stifle creativity and development, putting the US at further disadvantage with respect to potential rivals – and adversaries. Congress is reportedly trying to find a reasonable accommodation that will not put the US at a disadvantage globally. Coming up with a solution is not going to be easy. Regardless, Microsoft has announced plans to invest $80 billion in AI data centers in 2025 alone. 

On the enforcement side, the FTC has recently obtained a consent order against a customer review site (“Sitejabber”) that allowed the use of AI to falsify customer reviews or enabled clients to falsify reviews. The consent order forbids the organization from doing so from now on – and will be in effect for 20 years.