Technology Regulation is Outdated with Bruce Schneier

Easy Prey

Regulators have to invest a considerable amount of time in keeping legislation and policy up to date regarding technology and AI, but it’s not easy. We need floor debates, not for sound bytes or for political gain, but to move policy forward.

Today’s guest is Bruce Schneier. Bruce is an internationally renowned security technologist called The Security Guru by The Economist. He is the author of over a dozen books including his latest, A Hacker’s Mind. He has testified before Congress, is a frequent guest on television and radio, has served on several government committees, and is regularly quoted in the press. He is a fellow at the Berkman-Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, a lecturer in Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School, a board member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and AccessNow, and an advisory board member of EPIC and VerifiedVoting.org.

Show Notes:

• [1:40] - Bruce shares what he teaches at Harvard and the current interest in policy.
• [4:27] - The notion that tech can’t be regulated has been very harmful.
• [6:00] - Typically, the United States doesn’t regulate much in tech. Most regulation has come from Europe.
• [7:52] - AI is a power magnification tool. Will the uses empower the already powerful or democratize power?
• [9:16] - Bruce describes loopholes and how AI as a power magnification tool can mean something different in different situations.
• [12:06] - It will be interesting to watch AI begin to do human cognitive tasks because they will do them differently.
• [13:58] - Bruce explains how AI collaboration can be a real benefit.
• [16:17] - Like every text writer, AI is going to become a collaborative tool. What does this mean for writing legislation?
• [17:18] - AI can write more complex and detailed laws than humans can.
• [21:27] - AI regulation will be skewed towards corporations. Bruce explains how public AI could work.
• [23:46] - Will AI help the defender or the attacker more?
• [26:19] - AI can be good against legacy, but we need some sort of infrastructure.
• [29:27] - There’s going to be a need for proof of humanity.
• [32:29] - It is hard to know what people can do to help move regulation along. Ultimately, it is a political issue.

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