John H. Cochrane blasts the rush to regulate AI in a new essay
Dan_Jeffries1 · x · 2026-07-29
What the article argues
John H. Cochrane’s essay attacks the “we must act now” framing around AI regulation, including a Stanford-backed open letter and Governor Gavin Newsom’s AI executive order.
Core arguments
- He rejects the idea that technocratic policymakers know how to “steer AI” better than markets and industry.
- He compares AI alarmism to past fears about steam engines, trucks, and other labor-saving technologies.
- He argues that job displacement is an overblown risk compared with other plausible AI concerns.
- The article contends that governments have a poor track record on large-scale policy intervention and should not rush into AI-specific steering.
Context
The post is a link to the essay plus Cochrane’s own critique of government-led AI governance.
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