GOP Base Remains Skeptical Toward AI
GOP delegates want AI threats taken seriously, despite Trump’s softer approach to the technology
Joel Leighton
MILWAUKEE, July 18, 2024 – Many Republican voters want to see privacy, misinformation, and worker considerations factored into a future Trump administration's approach to Artificial Intelligence technologies.
Responding to the GOPs recently released 2024 platform vowing to reverse President Joe Biden’s allegedly restrictive AI Executive Order, many GOP voters still want to see comprehensive policies addressing key concerns.
In its platform, the GOP said Biden’s order imposed “radical leftwing ideas” on the development of the technology and hindered its development.
The platform added, “In its place, Republicans support AI Development rooted in Free Speech and Human Flourishing.”
While praising a reversal of Biden’s order, GOP delegates interviewed also advocated for AI policies that can address misinformation, prevent privacy exploitation, and safeguards against workforce disruption.
Texas delegate Patrick Wamhoff is particularly concerned about AI’s potential to displace workers.
“I think it’s very scary to know that AI can possibly displace thousands upon thousands of entry level professionals,” Wamhoff said.
Wamhoff said he would like to see a Trump administration help retrain workers in other skill sets in case of mass layoffs.
Tony O’Donnell, a member of the Montana Public Service Commission, said he was concerned about AI’s potential for misinformation.
“It is so fast and so precise, but you still have to check everything they say because they’re just taking it from unverified sources. So what real good is it going to do?” O’Donnell said.
For Louisiana delegate Tim Bailey, the key issue is privacy.
“We don't want an artificial watchdog in our lives. That’s my concern - privacy,” Bailey said. “The average person wants some privacy, and they have a God-given right to have that privacy.”
The Republican Party’s softer regulatory approach to AI to appeal to the tech industry might cause tension with a base that increasingly values privacy and worker protection.
Notably, the delegates’ perspectives were in line with some of the protectionist and anti-corporatist rhetoric coming from some of the speeches.
Despite skepticism from the GOP base, many Silicon Valley leaders, venture capitalists, and tech innovators have emerged to support the Trump campaign’s accommodative approach toward the AI industry.
Industry leaders present at the Republican National Convention have praised the GOPs commitment to overturn Biden’s order, particularly for freeing the industry to innovate.
Carl Szabo, vice president of the tech advocacy group NetChoice, said repeal would be “good for Americans and innovators.”
He said Biden’s approach put too much stress on risk takers.
“Biden’s executive order merely forces bureaucrats to create new, complex burdens on small businesses and innovators trying to enter the marketplace,” Szabo said.
Szabo said lawmakers should focus on ensuring existing laws are properly enforced and then create “targeted rules to address AI-specific concerns to fill in the gaps.”
