The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is prioritising the regulation of AI due to concerns about its deceptive use. During a confirmation hearing, three commissioner nominees -Democrat Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter and Republican nominees Andrew Ferguson and Melissa Holyoak -emphasised the need for the FTC to address fraudulent activities associated with AI.

They agreed that AI could exacerbate several nefarious acts, such as fraud using cybersecurity attacks via email phishing and robocalls. Even though the two Republicans would not be able to sway the direction of the FTC on the issue, given the three to two Democratic majority, the bipartisan work on the topic is welcome.  

Why does it matter?

This bipartisan consensus among the nominees is notable, signalling a shared understanding of the importance of tackling deceptive practices related to AI. It is worth mentioning that this agreement comes at a time when a Republican FTC commissioner, Christine Wilson, recently resigned and criticised the agency's leadership. The news also comes as the academic community and international agencies join civil society groups calling for better guardrails in applying AI-related technologies.