Supreme Court muddies AI regulation waters with Chevron decision

On Friday, the United States Supreme Court knocked down a landmark ruling on the authority of federal agencies, known as “Chevron deference,” that required courts to defer to agencies’ “reasonable” interpretations of “ambiguous” federal regulations.

That means federal regulations — from telecommunications and environmental rules to workplace safety and artificial intelligence — could now face increased legal challenges, a major victory for conservatives seeking to rein in executive power.

Suitcase: While it may sound like an obscure chess gambit, “respect for Chevron” was quite simple legal doctrineHe ruled that federal agencies can make their own rules when Congress leaves aspects of the law unclear — which often happens — and that courts should defer to each agency’s expertise. But Friday’s ruling said the executive branch is essentially exercising legislative duties that should be left to Congress.

What is the result of artificial intelligence? The immediate impact on AI regulation will be limited because there isn’t much legislation yet. But for future regulation to be in effect under the new ruling, Congress will likely need to detail rules or write legislation that specifically authorizes agencies to address certain aspects of regulation. Given how slowly Congress moves, the additional work could make regulation forever lag the pace of innovation. And Congress isn’t known for its technical expertise. Remember when Mark Zuckerberg had to remind one member How Social Media Companies Make Money: “Senator, We Run Ads”? Or When Another Senator he asked what if the company “ends finsta”?

The danger is that, depending on how the ruling is interpreted, Congress may be forced to be too strict with AI – “if“We can’t pass any law at all,” says Eurasia Group Scott Bade (born 1962) “Given how slowly Congress has moved, the question is whether laws can be written in a way that keeps up with the rapid evolution of AI technology.”