AI for starters

Artificial Intelligence is the most important innovation we’ve seen in a generation, with the transformative power to solve complex social problems and create a whole new economy—similar to what we saw with the advent of the machine. printing, electricity and internet.

It’s such a big moment that it would be remiss of us to ignore the power of collaboration across the AI ​​ecosystem—and the possibilities and possibilities that can arise from it. That’s what unites us—a shared understanding of what this era needs and the role that innovators big and small play in expanding opportunities and maintaining economic competitiveness. Our two firms believe that Little Tech and Big Tech can work together effectively, both to create a comprehensive system of environmental improvement and to collaborate on public policies.

Our two companies may not agree on everything, but this is not about our differences. It’s about realizing collectively that the policy choices—or mistakes—we make now will determine whether the US can continue our long and proud history of fostering innovation and pioneering. , small businesses and entrepreneurs thrive. Besides, we both know a thing or two about the little guy who works his way up to greatness out of their garage. That is the story of Microsoft and the mission of a16z.

We both strongly believe that when it comes to AI, the opportunities are huge and that our way to build a new AI economy is by stimulating innovation and encouraging competition. The best way to encourage innovation while ensuring safety and security is through a variety of responsible market-based approaches and business models, including open source AI. Open-source models have contributed significantly to major advances in technology and research over the decades, often by reducing or eliminating the power imbalance between large institutions and startups, to allow the academic community and novices to have greater access and build upon existing knowledge while providing real. – time peer review.

A16z looks at competition and innovation through the lens of Little Tech: small businesses and startups. A16z published its strategic plan for Little Tech in July, proposing a series of strategic ideas to encourage AI innovation through regulations that level the playing field across all industries. The goal of the Little Tech Agenda is to ensure that public policy supports startups, giving entrepreneurs “the freedom to research, to innovate, to create jobs, to build the future.”

Microsoft is committed to making massive investments in AI infrastructure that only a Big Tech company of our size and scale can, to create an affordable and accessible platform for everyone, including startups and small firms. These infrastructure investments are critical to creating opportunities for new businesses to experiment and grow in the AI ​​economy. In February this year, Microsoft published a series of regulations (called the AI ​​Accessibility Principles) to govern its operations and fulfill this commitment. Another core trend that informs Microsoft’s AI Principles is the imperative to “foster innovation and competition in the new AI economy.”

Together, we believe in a competitive and inclusive ecosystem that harnesses the power of academic research and business innovation, including an important role for open innovation that will generate tomorrow’s ideas to make life better for everyone and our country safe and prosperous. . Together, we hope to foster creativity and innovation and continue to achieve our highest aspirations and ideals that have defined the US for generations. These are the policy objectives to get there.

A policy opportunity for AI startups

Microsoft and a16z together welcome the opportunity to advance a public policy that will allow America’s entrepreneurs and innovators to do what they do best – build new tools and businesses that solve problems, create jobs and new opportunities, and enabling startups to thrive. Ensuring that companies large and small have a seat at the table will serve society well and will accelerate American innovation. We offer the following strategic ideas for AI startups to thrive, collaborate and compete.

• Laws that promote opportunities for US businesses: US AI laws and regulations should support the global success and expansion of US technology companies by promoting access and opportunity. This can be done by using a science-based and standards-based approach that adopts regulatory frameworks that focus on the use and misuse of technology. Regulation should be implemented only if its benefits outweigh its costs. In the cost report, policy makers should include an analysis of the potential costs associated with unnecessary administrative burdens to begin with. As the new global competition in AI evolves, laws and regulations that reduce the risk of AI should focus on the risk of bad actors misusing AI and aim to avoid creating new barriers to innovation of business, growth and innovation.
• Competition and selection: enabling choice and wide access encourages AI innovation and competition. Regulators should not only allow providers to offer a wide range of models and open source, large and small – but should allow developers and startups the opportunity to choose the types of AI they can use. wherever they build solutions and not tilt the playing field. good for any platform. Developers should have the freedom to choose how to distribute and sell their AI models, tools and applications to consumers.
• New open source method: open-source software provides great value to our economy by stimulating a new ecosystem. It allows technology companies large and small the ability to build the next innovation faster and gives them more tools to develop software safely, securely and competitively. We believe the same is true of open AI models. They increase choice and allow startups to develop customized applications and applications with ease. The free availability and functionality of these models allows beginners to discover, use, and benefit from AI by adapting it to their own circumstances and needs. They also offer the promise of security and safety benefits, as they can be extensively scanned for vulnerabilities. Regulators and decision makers should adopt a regulatory framework that protects open source and preserves the ability of entrepreneurs, startups, and companies to create, build, transform, and capture the future.
• Open standard data: data is a key component for all AI developers. There is a role for government to play in enabling and creating policies that support a successful and growing global data ecosystem through Open Data Commons—repositories of accessible data that would be managed for the public good. . Governments should participate and lead this effort by releasing data resources in ways that are useful for traditional AI organizations and libraries. Governments should ensure that startups can easily access these data pools.
• Right to study: Copyright law is designed to promote the advancement of science and the fine arts by extending protection to publishers and authors to encourage them to bring new works and knowledge to the public, but not at the expense of the public right. of learning from these activities. Copyright law should not be construed to suggest that machines should be prevented from using data—the principle of AI—to learn in the same way as humans. Unsecured knowledge and information, regardless of whether it is in protected content, should remain free and accessible.
• Invest in AI: the US government should invest in AI to accelerate American innovation, strengthen our national security, and create economic opportunity. As part of this investment strategy, the government should review its procurement processes to help start-ups sell technology to the government.
• Help people thrive in an AI-powered world: building a new AI economy that supports startups and corporate America will require a public policy that cultivates technical talent and engages digital citizens. To that end, the policy should fund digital education programs that help people understand how to use AI tools to create and access information. It should also support workforce skills development and workforce training programs to help people secure jobs in an AI-driven economy.

It is clear that we are living in a time of chaos, often characterized by conflict between individuals and groups. But as always, we should take advantage of opportunities to find common ground. The United States has created an ecosystem that has helped fuel the nation’s economic growth for more than half a century. As shown here, we believe that Little Tech and Big Tech can contribute even more in the coming decades by coming together. We can build on each other’s strengths, and together we can advocate for public policies that will serve innovation and the broader public interest.