AI in a world of Trump

This week's episode of the Modem Futura podcast on artificial intelligence is more relevant than ever given the results of the US election

Recording the Modem Futura podcast with me on the left ad my co-host Sean Leahy on the right

This week’s episode of the Modem Futura podcast — which focuses on artificial intelligence — was recorded a few weeks ago; long before last night’s decisive victory for Donald Trump in the US election. And so it was with some anxiety that I re-listened to it this morning.

Thankfully what I worried would now sound outdated is, if anything, more relevant than ever as we potentially face a significant political shift in approaches to AI in the US.

When my co-host Sean Leahy and I sat down to record the episode, we set out to have a wide ranging discussion about the AI and society — prompted by Alan Turing’s 1950 paper Computing Machinery and Intelligence and his question “Can machines think?”

As we explore in the podcast, both the question and the way that Turing frames and unpacks it are highly relevant to modern day advances in AI — and how these translate into ways the technology will potentially impact society.

That initial spark provided by Turing’s paper led to an expansive discussion between Sean and myself that touched on everything from the nature of thought, consciousness and identity, “superhero archetypes,” AI ethics, and responsible AI.

But at the heart of the conversation was the driving question of how, given the potential disruptive power of advanced AI, do we make sure that the transformations it brings about lead to a better future?

This is where I was worried that our conversation would no longer made sense given anticipated shifts in technology policy under Trump. Listening back though, the ideas and perspectives we explore are more important than ever if we’re going to collectively ensure AI is a clear and unequivocal technology for good.

They are also perspectives that, I would strongly argue, should be informing thinking around AI policy in the incoming administration.

While it’s not yet clear how the Trump administration will be approaching technology innovation policy, there have been clear signals that we’re likely to see efforts to reduce government oversight, open up pathways to rapid economic growth, and embracing a more “permissionless” approach to innovation — especially given Elon Musk’s relationship with Donald Trump and his potential role in the new administration.

This is likely to have a profound impact on the evolving ecosystem around advanced AI in the US — and one that will likely emphasize US-centric short term gains which (to some at least) promise long term rewards; all unhindered by overly restrictive government regulation.

While this will no doubt bring proponents of reducing AI hype and increasing AI regulation out in a cold sweat, the indications are that, under Trump, responsible and beneficial AI will depend less on government oversight and more on a tapestry of soft governance mechanisms that rely increasingly on developers and their key stakeholders — including consumers.

And this is where the conversation that Sean and I have on this week’s episode of Modem Futura is more relevant than ever to how we collectively approach the future of AI.

If you haven’t listened to the episode yet, you can catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts — or by using the player below.

Of course, because we weren’t even thinking about the election when we recorded the conversation, it dances around AI policies and approaches to responsible innovation without tackling them head-on. But it still explores ideas and perspectives that we ignore at our peril if the end goal is AI that improves lives rather than makes them worse — whoever’s at the political helm.