Exploring the Role of AI Regulation in Innovation
A Forbes article by UL Solutions Senior Vice President and Chief Scientist Robert Slone dispels the notion that regulating AI will impede innovation.
Published March 2, 2026
By Nick Fetty
Throughout history, new forms of technology and innovation have caused feelings of promise and fear among the public. AI is just the latest tech to find itself at this precipice.
Robert Slone, PhD, a member of the Executive Board of the International Science Reserve (an effort in coordination with The New York Academy of Sciences), used history as a basis for how to approach regulating AI in an article he wrote for Forbes. Dr. Slone, who also serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Scientist at UL Solutions, questioned “Can we build the structures of trust and reliability early enough to allow innovation to accelerate to new heights, without sacrificing safety?”
Dr. Slone compares the advent of AI to other modern technologies like the automobile or microwave, which were met with skepticism by the public before being fully embraced. He cites the International Data Corporation which predicts that generative AI will pump nearly $20 trillion into the global economy by 2030 and lays out six practical actions that leaders can take today to get the most out of AI in their operations.
Optimistic but cautious, Dr. Slone concludes: “Risk is not a signal to stop, but to lead, design better and move forward with intention.”
