Decoder with Nilay Patel · Saturday, September 19, 2026
Former DOJ antitrust chief Jonathan Kanter likens the current state of AI development to inventing cars without roads, traffic lights, or speed limits. He argues that basic rules are needed for both what companies should do and what the government should do to manage this powerful new technology.
“So the state of the world right now is, it's like we've invented cars and trucks, um, but we have no lines on the road, no traffic lights, and no stop signs, and no speed limits.”
“Um, we've invented this incredibly powerful technology that's transforming how we live our lives, how we conduct business, how we socialize, how we seek and generate and consume information. Uh, and we need some basic rules of the road.”
“And I think about it in two fronts. What are the things that companies should be doing? And what are things that the government should be doing? And I think there are responsibilities on both ends.”