Fighting for Ethical AI—Even from a Hospital Bed
When I received word that my case with the Elysée Palace had been "escalated," I wasn’t expecting to follow up on it from a hospital bed. But here I am, drugged up, awaiting surgery for my broken hand. You’d think that AI regulation could wait, right? Wrong. The stakes are far too high, and time is something we simply don't have. As I juggle my health and my fight for AI ethics, one thing is clear: even with a broken hand, I can’t afford to drop this baton.
The Call
On the other end of the line: an agent at the Elysée Palace, hopefully someone higher up than customer service. I explained my case and why it's critical that President Macron and his administration intervene in the global AI conversation—especially now that California’s Governor Newsom has vetoed SB 1047. The urgency isn’t just about California or France anymore. We need a global response to unregulated AI, and Macron could be the one to rally that.
The agent was polite and, dare I say, hopeful. There’s no guarantee my message will land on Macron's desk in time, but I felt heard. The question is: will there be enough time for global leaders to apply pressure and stop the world from running headfirst into unchecked AI chaos?
The Irony of It All
Here I am, lying in a hospital bed, with my fingers turning blue from lack of circulation, yet still typing (with my good hand). It’s ironic, isn’t it? One hand fighting to heal itself, the other fighting to heal the world. Both battles feel equally daunting. But I can’t help but chuckle at the absurdity of my situation. It’s almost poetic that while my physical hand is broken, I’m still trying to lend a helping hand to humanity in the race against time.
A Real-Life Comedy Skit
And then, just when I thought I was making headway with the French government, life pulled one of those ironic moments. As I was talking to the agent, the doctor entered the room, needing my attention to address my hand. I suddenly found myself at a crossroads: the French President’s office on one line, the doctor on the other side of reality, and me in the middle trying to decide which crisis to handle first. It almost felt like I was living out a real-life comedy skit.
In that split second, I had to prioritize myself, something my therapist recently told me to focus on more, highlighted in my most recent podcast episode titled “The Human Cost of AI: An SB 1047 Special Podcast Episode”, a sociopolitocal podcast available on Apple Podcasts under “AI Podcast Therapy” 4-part series leading to Governor’s veto on SB 1047. It’s funny—here I was, in a situation that felt like the fate of humanity was on the line, with the potential risk of rogue AI running rampant, and yet I had to make the practical choice to focus on getting my hand fixed. A little lesson in self-care, even when the stakes seem impossibly high.
Where Do We Stand?
The agent mentioned my case would be passed along for review, but bureaucracy moves slowly—15 days to 2 months. That's not acceptable. We don’t have that kind of time. SB 1047 was supposed to protect us from rogue AI models that can rewrite our future, unchecked and unregulated. The question on everyone's mind: how much damage will be done before it’s too late?
For now, we hope. We hope that global leaders recognize the severity of this situation. We hope that President Macron can muster up a coalition to intervene before the damage becomes irreversible.
Ticking Clock
As the clock ticks and AI development charges forward, we’re at a critical juncture. AI models are evolving faster than our ability to regulate them. Will there be time to intervene? Or will future generations look back at this moment and ask why we didn’t act when we had the chance?
All I can do now is wait for my surgery and hope the world’s leaders know what they’re doing. But I won’t stop fighting—not from this hospital bed, not ever.
#DemandAIRegulation
