American Principles for AI Policy

This essay argues that for the United States to maintain global leadership in the era of artificial intelligence, it must develop a Sovereign AI landscape that reflects quintessential American values: pluralism, diversity of expression, openness to new ideas, rewarding success, and resistance to exploitation. To achieve this, policymakers should consider phenomena at three scales: the Individual (empowering data providers), Organizational (fostering a competitive marketplace of AI-powered organizations), and National (setting boundaries while supporting innovation). A key recommendation of this essay is moving beyond viewing citizens as passive participants in the coming AI economy, and instead to encourage them to actively take part in shaping the AI landscape through both their creative endeavors and their decisions regarding which organizations they share data with. To this end, the essay emphasizes the importance of striking a balance between freedoms and constraints, ensuring the sovereignty of American AI, and cultivating a dynamic AI capability that is as adaptive and resilient as America itself. Ultimately, aligning incentives between citizen knowledge creators and AI developers, along with a flexible and transparent regulatory framework, will ensure America's Sovereign AI landscape is as exceptional as the nation itself.