If the release of ChatGPT wasn’t enough to clue people in, the world has officially fired the gun in the global race for artificial intelligence (AI) dominance. Currently, the United States leads because many of the world’s top technology companies — Google, Microsoft, Apple and Facebook — are headquartered in America. But other contenders, such as China, are strong, and although Europe has lagged a bit out of the gate, it’s catching up to competitors. The U.S. can maintain its edge, but it will take hard work around regulation, continued investment in infrastructure development, ongoing education, and silicon chips.
1. Fewer Governmental Regulations
With all the power AI has, and considering that power will likely only grow in the future, some degree of regulation is necessary. But how the U.S. chooses to regulate could greatly influence how well we can hold our AI dominance. Laws that do not recognize the degree of ingenuity and accountability already available, or that do not recognize the amount of flexibility required to innovate, can easily create red tape that holds back individuals or organizations that want to research, gather and use resources, and share new developments.
What I believe we need is self-governance rather than government oversight. Putting government officials in charge who want to host a lot of calls, spend a lot of money, and tell people what to do can kill innovation. The best way to operate is to have smart, savvy people abide by their own code of conduct because the minute a government tries to put in government regulation, people rebel and try to evade it. And if we lead with regulation, we are inviting all other nations to create their own regulations to protect their companies. Result: Innovation is stifled.
2. Access to Silicon Chips
There are many parts of AI. One is the creative ideas that become reflected in software and math that become useable. A second part, however, is the size of the computing power necessary to make AI accessible. This is why companies like NVIDIA have become trillion-dollar companies. They produce bespoke, highly customized silicon computer chips that enable the features people need to develop and run a successful AI company.
As the AI race continues to heat up, the ability of the U.S. to maintain its top spot in the AI field ties closely to whether the U.S. can produce or import enough sophisticated chips to meet the demand. Thinking out loud, is it wise to produce these AI chips, which will determine who will lead the race for decades ahead, outside of the U.S. and then use sanctions and regulations to deny access to other countries?
3. Infrastructure
As we look ahead, next-generation infrastructure will need more computing power, less electricity and to dissipate less heat. These essential requirements combined with go-green is the most difficult task only the most innovative will be able to address.
Even if the U.S. can address the need for silicon chips, it must also ensure that people can extend the entire ecosystem, including considerations such as power availability. There are great brains in many countries, such as India, but the larger infrastructure for AI isn’t there. The U.S. is dominant now because the country has built an infrastructure that is state of the art.
The U.S.’s dominance depends more on whether people continue to invest in good infrastructure, and other nations are already building infrastructures meant to rival and eventually exceed the U.S. Try Singapore, a tiny city-nation at the forefront of infrastructure investment.
4. Education
In some ways, AI has already invaded nearly every part of life. Many people use Apple, Google, or Amazon devices that are always listening. In my own house, my grandkids often go by the kitchen and say, “Alexa, play [favorite tracks].” Then, boom, the music starts up. They are completely comfortable with the technology and assume it is already there. I remember, not too long ago, when we had to jiggle antennas to get a signal to watch TV or listen to the radio, and most people did not have a telephone or shared a single telephone line.
Young people are so comfortable with AI technology already that when they become adults, they’re naturally going to want more than they had when they were kids. There is a built-in value proposition to have more AI-driven products around the house, office, and world they live in, so they will bring more new AI ideas to life. In this way, the world is the younger generations’ oyster — an amazing amount of technological opportunities are open to them.
What’s missing, however, is formal instruction on the proper treatment of AI. Universities can help get the U.S. to its user-/creator-governed goal by educating the next generation on advancing AI to be a force for good.
America Can Win, but Capital Access Is the Key to Victory
The best is yet to come with AI — we’re at the ground level of a revolution that will become a tsunami. And being dominant in AI doesn’t have to carry negative connotations. The U.S. can use the technology for enormous good, and the country is capable of addressing all the infrastructure, regulatory, and educational issues around it.
But if we are going to win the AI race, U.S. companies have to have access to capital to pioneer. The engine for this access is broken, especially for startups, and capital access is the biggest difference between the U.S. and other countries. If capital access is not re-established, the U.S. will likely lose its innovation engine.
So, now is the time to push for the government to reduce red tape and firehose access to capital. With that support, America can become a beacon of strength and a leader in “AI for good” and lead the race for many decades to come.