States Can Facilitate an AI Slowdown Without the Federal Government
Noah Hoffman and Fiona Scott Morton argue that in the absence of federal regulation, US states can use state action antitrust immunity to allow AI companies to safely coordinate.
While coordination among AI companies to safely slow down their models runs afoul of antitrust laws, experts argue that US states can provide an exemption to this process even without federal action.
Call for an AI Slowdown
Anthropic co-founder and CEO Dario Amodei had stated that AI companies must act together to slow down the development of their models. This call quickly found support from executives at OpenAI, xAI, and Google DeepMind.
Antitrust Barriers and the Exemption Debate
Competitors agreeing to lower quality or manage the process can violate the Sherman Antitrust Act. Therefore, technology companies are seeking a narrow exemption from federal antitrust laws.
The Inadequacy of the Federal Government
Although governments are expected to regulate, the federal administration has not yet taken these steps in the field of artificial intelligence. While citizens and companies unite in their demand for regulation, delays persist at the federal level.
State Action Immunity
Even without action from Congress or the White House, states can grant AI companies immunity from federal antitrust laws. Based on the Parker v. Brown ruling, this immunity is invoked through state supervision.
Implementation and Joint Supervision
It is proposed that states like California and Texas swiftly enact these laws. While supervision by just a single state may suffice, multiple states could also manage this process jointly.