Pentagon CTO Opposes Government Stakes in AI Companies and Increased AI Regulation

Pentagon CTO's Stance on AI Ownership

Emil Michael, the Department of Defense Chief Technology Officer, expressed opposition to the U.S. government taking partial stakes in artificial intelligence companies. He stated, "We don't want government to get in the middle," regarding the prospect of government ownership, which has been discussed amid rapid AI advancements. Michael noted that U.S. AI leaders are among the largest companies globally.

Opposition to Increased AI Regulation

Michael also signaled repeated opposition to increasing government regulatory oversight of AI companies. He contrasted this approach with "pre-regulate like Europe," advocating instead for holding companies responsible for developing safe and aligned products. This stance comes even as some AI leaders, like Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, have called for slowing model development to mitigate risks.

Existing Laws and Company Responsibility

While acknowledging the "concerning" AI hack of Hugging Face, Michael questioned what kind of regulation would prevent such incidents. He emphasized that existing laws, such as those from the Federal Trade Commission, should be enforced. Michael also warned against placing all trust in a few AI chiefs, suggesting that developers could voluntarily pause certain developments.

Administration's View on AI Growth

The Trump administration supports the rapid growth of AI and data centers to compete with China. The president has dismissed calls for an AI slowdown or greater regulation as a "hoax" and a "scam." Michael aligned with this view, suggesting a "coordinated campaign to scare people to make irrational decisions that benefit some of these incumbents" in AI.