Looking through a policy window with tinted glasses

Setting the agenda for U.S. AI policy

Bibliographic Data

ID7367792
AuthorsDaniel S Schiff (0000-0002-4376-7303, Purdue University West Lafayette, corresponding author)
Year2023
Volume40
Issue5
Pages729-756
Publication date2023-01-31
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueReview of Policy Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1541-132X • E-ISSN: 1541-1338
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/ropr.12535
OpenAlexW4319829636
LanguageEN
Citations received25
References cited94

The policy agenda is currently being established for artificial intelligence (AI), a domain marked by complex and sweeping implications for economic transformation tempered by concerns about social and ethical risks. This article reviews the United States national AI policy strategy through extensive qualitative and quantitative content analysis of 63 strategic AI policy documents curated by the federal government between 2016 and 2020. Drawing on a prominent theory of agenda setting, the Multiple Streams Framework, and in light of competing paradigms of technology policy, this article reviews how the U.S. government understands the key policy problems, solutions, and issue frames associated with AI. Findings indicate minimal attention to focusing events or problem indicators emphasizing social and ethical concerns, as opposed to economic and geopolitical ones. Further, broad statements noting ethical dimensions of AI often fail to translate into specific policy solutions, which may be explained by a lack of technical feasibility or value acceptability of ethics‐related policy solutions, along with institutional constraints for agencies in specific policy sectors. Finally, despite widespread calls for increased public participation, proposed solutions remain expert dominated. Overall, while the emerging U.S. AI policy agenda reflects a striking level of attention to ethics—a promising development for policy stakeholders invested in AI ethics and more socially oriented approaches to technology governance—this success is only partial and is ultimately layered into a traditional strategic approach to innovation policy

Corporate governance · Economics · Geopolitics · Government (linguistics · Management · Policy analysis · Policy studies · Political science · Politics · Public policy · Public relations · Sociology · Law · Policy Transfer and Learning · Public Administration · Qualitative Comparative Analysis Research · Sustainability and Climate Change Governance

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