On the Need for an AI Public Option - Schneier on Security

Bruce Schneier and Nathan Sanders on AI and the public good:

Silicon Valley has produced no small number of moral disappointments. Google retired its “don’t be evil” pledge before firing its star ethicist. Self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist” Elon Musk bought Twitter in order to censor political speech, retaliate against journalists, and ease access to the platform for Russian and Chinese propagandists. Facebook lied about how it enabled Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election and paid a public relations firm to blame Google and George Soros instead.

Schneier and Sanders mention that China and Europe have publicly funded AI (though China's seems designed to further state goals and is done through cronies), and that the US could publicly fund AI that's accountable to the public while also a starting place for future startups.

I'm not necessarily sold, but it is an interesting proposal.