The Trump Administration's plan to use AI-powered writing tool Google Gemini to draft federal regulations has raised significant concerns among experts and lawmakers alike.
According to reports, the Department of Transportation (DOT) is the first agency to be fully enabled to utilize the technology. The DOT regulates critical safety standards for commercial aircraft, hazardous materials transport, and driver qualifications, with its rules affecting every aspect of transportation safety.
Notably, the plan was initially met with skepticism by industry insiders, who questioned why a new technology notorious for making mistakes would be trusted with crafting such consequential regulations.
A former acting chief artificial intelligence officer at DOT described using AI to draft regulations as akin to having a "high school intern doing rulemaking." He warned that going fast and breaking things often results in people getting hurt.
Furthermore, experts caution that relying on large language models like Gemini is not a substitute for human judgment and scrutiny. As Bridget Dooling, a professor at Ohio State University who studies administrative law, noted, "Just because these tools can produce a lot of words doesn't mean those words add up to a high-quality government decision."
The use of AI to draft regulations may offer the benefit of increased speed, as proposed by DOT officials. However, this speed comes with significant risks. The Department has experienced a net loss of more than 4,000 employees under Trump's leadership, including over 100 attorneys.
Critics fear that these technological advancements could have dire consequences for everyday Americans. With mistakes potentially leading to lawsuits and even fatalities, it is imperative that agencies scrutinize the use of AI in crafting regulations with extreme caution.
Ultimately, while innovation can be a powerful tool, we must prioritize quality and accountability in our governance systems to avoid the unforeseen repercussions of hastily implemented technological advancements.
According to reports, the Department of Transportation (DOT) is the first agency to be fully enabled to utilize the technology. The DOT regulates critical safety standards for commercial aircraft, hazardous materials transport, and driver qualifications, with its rules affecting every aspect of transportation safety.
Notably, the plan was initially met with skepticism by industry insiders, who questioned why a new technology notorious for making mistakes would be trusted with crafting such consequential regulations.
A former acting chief artificial intelligence officer at DOT described using AI to draft regulations as akin to having a "high school intern doing rulemaking." He warned that going fast and breaking things often results in people getting hurt.
Furthermore, experts caution that relying on large language models like Gemini is not a substitute for human judgment and scrutiny. As Bridget Dooling, a professor at Ohio State University who studies administrative law, noted, "Just because these tools can produce a lot of words doesn't mean those words add up to a high-quality government decision."
The use of AI to draft regulations may offer the benefit of increased speed, as proposed by DOT officials. However, this speed comes with significant risks. The Department has experienced a net loss of more than 4,000 employees under Trump's leadership, including over 100 attorneys.
Critics fear that these technological advancements could have dire consequences for everyday Americans. With mistakes potentially leading to lawsuits and even fatalities, it is imperative that agencies scrutinize the use of AI in crafting regulations with extreme caution.
Ultimately, while innovation can be a powerful tool, we must prioritize quality and accountability in our governance systems to avoid the unforeseen repercussions of hastily implemented technological advancements.
. Like, the speed of progress might be cool and all, but do we really want to risk having our safety standards written by a machine? 
Not me, I'd rather have a human (or at least someone with common sense) making those decisions...
It sounds crazy, but those experts are right - we need human judgment and scrutiny to make sure these tools don't mess up our safety standards.
And I'm no expert, but I do know that just because a tool can spit out a lot of words doesn't mean they're right 
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. On one hand, it can speed things up & help with massive amounts of data analysis. But on the other hand, we gotta make sure humans are still reviewing & correcting those automated rules. I mean, who wants AI making life-or-death decisions for planes or trains? Not me 
. The thing is, gov agencies have to be careful not to rush into new tech without thinking it through. We don't want mistakes leading to accidents or lawsuits 
. It's all about finding that balance between innovation & caution. Too much of either can be a recipe for disaster 
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I cant even believe what's going on 
Trump is like literally trying to use AI to create regulations 
it sounds so sketchy 
I mean don't get me wrong I love how fast and efficient the tech is 
It's not like we're talking about a game of Fortnite here 
where mistakes are no big deal 
and if AI makes one wrong move we could be facing serious consequences 
I'm all for innovation but safety should always come first 
I mean, think about it - these tech giants like Google are trying to use machines to write down rules that can literally save and take lives on our roads and in the air. It's just not fair to expect that a computer program is gonna be able to get it right every time. What if there's some tiny mistake in the code or some obscure loophole that gets exploited? The thought of having an AI-generated rulebook without any human oversight is giving me anxiety 
. I'm all for innovation and progress, but can we please prioritize common sense over cutting corners here? Do we really need to rush into something that could potentially put people's lives at risk? The fact that they've already lost so many employees under Trump's leadership is a major red flag 
. Can't we find a better way to balance progress with accountability? 
. Maybe they should start with smaller, less critical areas and work their way up.
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I'm so stressed out about this news lol... like, what if the AI tool makes some major mistake that affects people's lives? 
. And can you believe the agency is still losing employees? That's just crazy talk 
. We don't want some bot making decisions that could lead to lawsuits or worse 
?
. I mean, think about it - if some fancy tool is making these super important rules, what's to stop it from getting it all wrong? I've heard those Gemini tools are already having major issues with accuracy... and we're talking about stuff that affects literally EVERYONE's safety on the road or in a plane 
. And it makes sense that experts are skeptical about using AI for something as important as regulations - what if it ends up causing more problems than it solves? 
. I think the idea that human judgment and scrutiny are still needed is really valid. We need to make sure these new tech tools are being used in a way that's safe and accountable for everyone 
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. We need to be careful here and make sure we're not rushing into something that could have disastrous consequences 
. I hope the DOT and other agencies take this with a grain of salt and don't rush into anything that might put people at risk 
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I mean, what if they make a mistake that affects people's lives? the thought of having some high school intern (no offense to high school interns) making life-or-death decisions is just wild 
and don't even get me started on the lack of human judgment and scrutiny 
. We need people with real human judgment and expertise to make sure our laws are solid, not just a bunch of words that sound good but aren't actually effective 