Mercatus Center at George Mason University reposted this
Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center | Author - Digital Spirits AI Policy Newsletter
While the incrementalist in me has a certain wariness about the uncertain impact of striking Chevron, I think its improper to suggest that public policy must be led by scientists/technical experts at each and every turn. Don't get me wrong: science must deeply inform every decision. That said, we must also respect the limits of scientists themselves. In the AI space, scientists might know the tech but what they can't speak to with authority is AI impact. A problematic trend in AI policy is that decisionmakers often turn to technical experts for takes on labor dynamics, economic growth, national security and other domains far afield of their knowledge. The result has been overactive imaginations, half baked ideas and policy that is generally wanting. All public policy is inherently interdisciplinary and is pulled by factors such as philosophy, budgets, economics, human behavior, and many other forces beyond science. While it would be nice to assume we can cook up policy recommendations in the lab, the reality is that policy is compromise. In a democracy we must both empower and invest trust in non-scientific experts - especially in congress- to engage. https://lnkd.in/eqeERMB5
Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center | Author - Digital Spirits AI Policy Newsletter
1wFor my thoughts, see my peice in Digital Spirits. https://digitalspirits.substack.com/p/the-crisis-of-technical-deference