The US government's attitude towards artificial intelligence has shifted from laissez-faire to strengthening supervision to address national security threats

The United States' longstanding laissez-faire approach towards artificial intelligence is coming to an end. Officials in the Trump administration have begun to feel uneasy due to the rapid development of AI models posing a threat to U.S. national security. Meanwhile, AI is becoming a political flashpoint, with voter dissatisfaction running high, making a laissez-faire policy no longer politically or strategically feasible.

Polls indicate that AI will become a core issue in the 2028 election, with 70% of Americans expressing concern that AI will squeeze out employment opportunities. The public's skepticism towards AI far exceeds that of other countries, and grassroots opposition continues to rise. The attack on the residence of OpenAI's CEO reflects this social sentiment.

However, regulating AI poses significant challenges: technological advancement is extremely rapid, and overly strict regulation could allow major Eastern powers to take the lead in the AI race, while lax regulation could lead to the risk of abuse. Governments must resolve regulatory issues within months that would have taken decades to clarify in the past.

Existing regulatory schemes have flaws: they may strengthen the monopoly position of AI giants, delay the popularization of technological dividends, and form a dual-tier economic system. How to regulate open-source models and build a defense system are both difficult problems. The regulatory system may be unfair, further concentrating power and wealth, and exacerbating political backlash.