Electrification history suggests AI safety rules may boost adoption, economist argues
robseamans · x · 2026-09-17
Economist Rob Seamans expands on his Forbes piece: how AI safety rules will affect firms remains unclear, but history with general purpose technologies shows standards and safety can go hand in hand with increased adoption.
His case study is electrification—safety rules and standardization around electricity increased its uptake and triggered knock-on innovations like refrigerators and computers. The implication: AI safety regulation may serve less as a brake and more as the institutional foundation for firms to adopt AI at scale.
Related event: Economist Argues AI Safety Standards Will Accelerate Adoption(3 posts)→
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