OSTP Issues Request for Information on Laws that Hinder AI

As part of the federal government’s “AI Action Plan,” the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) issued a new Request for Information (RFI). The RFI seeks information on federal laws, regulations, and policies that hinder AI development. A recent memo from Wiley breaks down the five categories of information requested by the OSTP:

“In the RFI, OSTP identifies five categories of potential obstacles that could impede the development and deployment of AI across industries: (1) regulatory mismatches, where existing rules no longer align with AI capabilities; (2) structural incompatibility, where legal or operational requirements are fundamentally unsuitable for AI systems; (3) lack of regulatory clarity, where insufficient guidance about rules that plausibly cover AI systems delays adoption, increases compliance costs, and slows innovation; (4) direct hindrance, where regulations directly target AI development, deployment, and adoption; and (5) organizational factors, which influence how available policy frameworks and administrative tools are and are not used.”

The administration has made it clear that advancing AI is a top priority. The responses to this RFI will likely help guide the administration’s deregulatory efforts. One area to watch is copyright law. With Anthropic’s pending settlement and many AI companies facing copyright litigation, intellectual property law may be scrutinized. The administration has previously signaled that change may be coming in this area after replacing the head of the US Copyright Office in May, just after the office issued a major report on AI.