Not Another Sleepless Night Over AI, Regulation, and Political Instability, Wishing I Had Attended the AI Action Summit in Paris
Last night, I couldn't sleep. My mind was consumed by the growing political and digital instability unfolding.
Over the last three weeks, the US has accelerated into a digital and political Wild West, and its leaders seem hell-bent on dragging the rest of us along for the ride. We are entering an era of uncertainty and instability, unlike anything I have witnessed before.
Watching the US use economic coercive tactics to derail global progress on AI regulation is beyond disheartening. We knew the "Tech Bros" would lobby against AI regulation, but I never expected the US government to threaten tariffs to force another country's compliance. Yet, here we are! Under a British Labour government, the UK refuses to sign the International AI Declaration. The party we came to associate with championing our digital rights is actively eroding protections and freedoms.
It is undeniable that AI is one of the most significant technological advancements in human history. Its full capabilities are still unknown, yet some of the most powerful world leaders aggressively pursue policies that weaken protections, remove oversight, and create lasting instability for individuals and businesses alike.
Today is not the time to debate whether regulation stifles innovation. It is time to ask why they fear regulation in the first place.
I believe AI is so powerful that anyone who refuses to acknowledge the urgent need for AI governance must have nefarious intentions. The same leaders refusing AI regulation are creating and weaponizing racial and cultural tensions under the guise of restoring countries to greatness.
As a Black woman, I feel unsafe in a digital society being shaped by people who stoke up hatred by flooding social media/digital databases with anti-black rhetoric. I'm sure other communities subjected to their attack also feel the same.
Two rhetorical questions come to mind: Why is there such strong resistance to ethical AI frameworks, especially when technology is still largely uncontained? Who will really benefit from a lack of meaningful oversight?
This is about more than just AI. Our decisions today will shape the future of technology, human rights, and our digital society.
Some may call this alarmist, but the warning signs are already here. Political and digital instability are not abstract concerns; they are shaping the systems that govern our daily lives. MedTech, EdTech, and Fintech are the industries most likely to be disrupted by AI.
The same leaders pushing against AI regulation are also rolling back DEI protections, restricting education access, and proposing health policies based on racial pseudoscience. The proposed US Health Secretary claims Black people need different vaccine schedules due to "stronger immune systems." There is a clear pattern. AI is not just a tech issue. If we are not careful, AI will be used as a tool of power to implement policies to subjugate marginalized groups.
Our fundamental rights are at threat. How we are medically treated, educated, and can manage our money will be decided by tech without regulation – if they have their way! Digital authoritarianism, digital feudalism, and yes, digital slavery through algorithmic oppression. That's the realistic outcome of unregulated AI.
A part of me wishes I had made the journey to Paris to be at the AI Action Summit, where real conversations about the future of AI governance are taking place. I am also relieved I was not there to watch the two leading countries play politics with our collective digital future.
Tonight, I am choosing to step away from the news, from the toxic noise of Twitter, and from the chaos I cannot control.
Tonight, I find peace in watching images from the International Space Station, a reminder that the world is bigger than the egos and power struggles trying to define it.
Bon Nuit
#AI #Regulation #EthicalAI #DigitalInstability #AIGovernance #DigitalTruth