Summary

Scott Cooper, former VP for Policy at the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), joins the podcast to provide historical context for modern AI governance. Scott has advised the US House of Representatives and Big Tech CEOs on consumer protection and benchmarking.

The conversation moves from the 1840s steam engine crisis to modern AI safety, explaining how historical assurance regimes for things like toy safety eventually paved the way for hard law.

You can listen on Spotify or Apple Music or watch the episode here on YouTube.

Key takeaways

• Using the 180-year history of standards to solve modern AI benchmarking gaps.

• Lessons from the 1840s: How steam engine safety mirrors AI robustness needs.

• The role of land grant colleges in rapidly upskilling a technical workforce.

• How toy safety assurance regimes provide a blueprint for AI "hard law."

• The geopolitical implications of AI being accessible in every natural language.