Tyler Cowen: Banning AI self-recursive improvement is unworkable
joshgans · x · 2026-09-22
Economist Tyler Cowen pushes back on proposals (including from Ezra Klein) to ban self-recursive improvement in AI models, arguing the idea falls apart on practical details:
- Open-source models, including Chinese ones, sit behind countless websites — enforcing a ban on Americans' access would effectively require a US firewall.
- No viable enforcement mechanism exists: would the government inspect model creation logs to decide which models users may run?
- Offshore arbitrage is trivial: Anthropic could license IP to a Cayman Islands subsidiary; restricting only US labs would cede the best models and fastest improvement to foreign nations and cripple multinationals.
- Equilibrium paradox: if ordinary companies can use AI to write code but labs can't, the balance is unstable — otherwise code writing disappears for everyone.
Cowen concludes it's a feel-good idea that ignores implementation, and AI policy should tackle the hard questions rather than opt for easy-sounding bans. Joshua Gans shared the post in full agreement.
Related event: Ezra Klein's Call to Ban AI-Written Code Draws Backlash(5 posts)→
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