With leaders worldwide wrapping up at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, artificial intelligence (AI) development and deployment took center stage.

The emergence of any new technology brings hope and opportunity but raises concerns about its potential misuse. This leads to the question of who should lead in the development of AI.

U.S. leadership in this critical technology cannot be understated. Whichever country leads in AI can reap the economic benefits, set global standards, strengthen their military, and gain a significant advantage in the geopolitical world. While the United States has always led the world in technological innovation, new competitors like China have emerged. In 2022, China filed 80 percent more AI patents than the United States.

I am encouraged that our leaders are discussing AI development, but they should not hinder U.S. innovation in this field.

Unfortunately, not all policymakers are on the same page. A white paper by the Competitive Enterprise Institute finds that the Federal Trade Commission’s policy approach towards U.S. technology companies slows innovation in emerging technologies, such as AI, thereby threatening U.S. technological leadership.

With AI innovation becoming a central component of the U.S./China competition, our leaders and policymakers must be wary of misguided legislation that gives China an upper hand and hurts our domestic innovators.

Terrence Raybon, Orem

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