No-Fly Zone: Why AI Doesn’t Need Helicopter Regulation
hen a new product or service appears, some public officials default to helicopter regulation. The instinct to “do something, anything” rarely pays off—just ask helicopter parents and their kids. An overbearing approach drains the finite resources of lawmakers, enforcement agencies, and innovators. The public bears the cost: officials fixate on a single issue instead of more pressing problems, and consumers wait longer for innovations held up by regulatory hurdles.
The White House’s AI Action Plan takes a lighter touch. It directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to prioritize innovation, which has translated into more measured enforcement and fewer regulatory burdens. So far, the FTC and the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) have resisted calls to recast the agencies as all-purpose AI regulators.