AI Regulation: Innovation’s Hidden Accelerator

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https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/718

What happens when global policymakers, technologists, and lawyers converge to shape the future of AI? In this episode, Andrew Welch shares insights from the UN’s AI for Good Summit in Geneva, where 15,000 thought leaders tackled the ethical, legal, and cultural challenges of artificial intelligence. From the EU AI Act to the dominance of English in training data, this conversation explores how regulation can drive—not hinder—innovation, and why trust in AI starts with understanding its global impact.

🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS
- AI regulation isn’t a blocker—it’s a catalyst for innovation. Like electricity, AI needs guardrails to scale safely and effectively.
- Law and tech must collaborate from the start. The EU AI Act is reshaping how companies approach compliance, ethics, and product development.
- Global AI capacity is dangerously concentrated. 90% of AI infrastructure is controlled by just two countries, raising sovereignty concerns.
- Language bias in AI is real and consequential. With 50% of the internet in English, cultural perspectives risk being lost in model training.
- Open-source AI tools empower—but also endanger. Democratized access means individuals can build powerful systems, for better or worse.
 
🧰 RESOURCES MENTIONED:
👉 AI for Good Global Summit – https://aiforgood.itu.int
👉 EU AI Act Overview – https://artificialintelligenceact.eu 
👉 Centre for Trustworthy AI (Microsoft) – No direct URL mentioned, but referenced throughout 
Book: Calling Bullsht: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-Driven World* – by Carl T. Bergstrom and Jevin D. West 
👉 Song: “Boy in the Bubble” by Paul Simon – Inspiration for Andrew’s upcoming article 

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Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith