Caipu.com, December 1st (Editor: Huang Junzhi) In recent times, the heated debate over the artificial intelligence (AI) bubble has never ceased in Silicon Valley and Wall Street, and now it is gradually becoming a topic of discussion among U.S. Congress members in Washington.

Since OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman said in August this year that investors are "too excited" about this technology, the debate within the tech industry about the AI bubble has intensified. There is also concern that tech companies may fall into a cycle of spending when investing in AI technology, which may eventually fail to recover the "massive investments" currently made.

Nevertheless, many people in the tech industry still believe there is no bubble and point out that the demand for AI products remains strong. What do politicians think?

Senator Brian Schatz from Hawaii, a Democrat, said, "Do we have an AI bubble? I don't know. Even experts in the AI field don't know."

Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, said although she is not sure whether there is a bubble, she is concerned about "how much the stock market and economic activities across the country are driven by this industry."

"If it is overvalued, when the bubble bursts, everyone will feel it. This centralization would make the economy much more vulnerable than other situations," she added.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from New York, one of the few legislators who have openly spoken about the potential AI bubble, said at a hearing last week that we may be in a "huge economic bubble" that could pose a threat to "economic stability similar to 2008."

"If the bubble bursts, we shouldn't consider bailing out," she added.

As some Republicans in the Trump administration and Congress seek ways to make the AI industry easier to operate, this bubble debate is slowly entering Capitol Hill. When asked if he was worried about the bubble, President Trump basically ignored it.

"I worry about everything. I hope it will be very good. If it's not good, we have safeguards," he said.

Senator Ted Cruz from Texas, the chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, has positioned himself as an ally of the AI industry on Capitol Hill. Last week, when asked if he thought the AI industry had a bubble, Cruz was cautious.

"Will there be uncertainties? Economic challenges? Of course (there will be). But for such an important technology, it is in our interest to win this race," he said.

Ocasio-Cortez believes there is a connection between the potential AI bubble and the economic motives that make AI technology more exploitative.

"People's deepest fears, secrets, emotions, and relationships can be exploited by these companies to gain profit from their hollow promises," he said.

However, for some who want to see stronger regulation of AI, the issue of the bubble is largely irrelevant.

Senator Josh Hawley from Missouri said, "Whether there is a bubble or not, it doesn't matter. We need to pay more attention to the impact on the working people."

(Caipu.com, Huang Junzhi)

Original: toutiao.com/article/7578707000045912582/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author.