Researcher Opposes Federal AI Regulation
AI scientist Ben Goertzel warns that government oversight could push development into secret, less accountable settings.
Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
Live Poll
Do you believe government regulation of artificial intelligence is necessary to ensure public safety?
AI researcher Ben Goertzel is publicly opposing federal regulation of artificial intelligence, arguing it would force innovation into clandestine military or intelligence channels. Instead, he advocates for a decentralized approach to developing artificial general intelligence.
Why it matters
Goertzel contends that decentralized AI governance is essential to ensure the technology benefits a broad population rather than serving only nation-states or corporate elites. He believes the concentration of AI power mirrors previous failures in oversight, such as the 2008 financial sector bailouts.
The Hyperon framework required 5 years of development and integrates neural networks with evolutionary learning. Meanwhile, Goertzel projects that humanity will reach artificial general intelligence before 2029.
The players
Ben Goertzel
He is an AI researcher and the CEO and founder of SingularityNET.
Artificial Superintelligence Alliance
This group consists of over 300 researchers and experts dedicated to decentralized AI development.
The details
Goertzel, the founder of SingularityNET, developed the Hyperon framework to scale AI through non-neural and neural methods using blockchain technology. He remains critical of traditional top-down oversight, preferring the collaborative efforts of the Artificial Superintelligence Alliance.
Timeline
2000s: Goertzel helped popularize the term artificial general intelligence in his writing.
2008: The financial crisis resulted in government bailouts for major banking institutions.
2024: The Artificial Superintelligence Alliance was formally established.
October 28, 2026: Goertzel discussed his views on regulatory policy during an interview.
Before 2029: The projected timeline for the achievement of artificial general intelligence.
The Tech Race
Goertzel uses the precedent of the 2008 financial crisis bank bailouts to warn against the consolidation of AI power within elite government structures. By pushing for a decentralized model, he seeks to prevent the history of corporate and state-led dominance from repeating in the AI sector.
The push for decentralized AI could eventually provide users with more control over their own data and AI service access. This shift would aim to offer an alternative to centralized, subscription-based models currently dominated by large tech firms.
The takeaway
Goertzel emphasizes that distributing the development of AI may be the most effective strategy to ensure ethical outcomes. His perspective serves as a reminder to monitor how regulatory debates could shape the future accessibility of advanced technologies.
Further reading
For more on the current landscape of industry oversight, visit the Artificial Intelligence section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Washington Post.
Live Poll
Do you believe government regulation of artificial intelligence is necessary to ensure public safety?
