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Intuit CEO frames AI governance through U.S. Constitution lens

Fortune AI1d ago4 min read
Intuit CEO frames AI governance through U.S. Constitution lens

Key takeaway

Intuit CEO Brad Smith argues that the U.S. Constitution's approach to distributing power and enabling adaptation offers a governing model for the AI era. Rather than leaving AI governance to individual corporations, Smith advocates for cross-sector collaboration on safety standards, AI education access, and diverse representation in training data—framing it as a shared responsibility akin to the historical American tradition of communal problem-solving.

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3 Key Points

  • What happened

    Intuit CEO Brad Smith published a commentary drawing parallels between the U.S. Constitution's founding principles and the challenges of governing artificial intelligence today. He emphasizes that the framers created a system balancing stability with adaptability—distributing authority across competing institutions—and argues similar principles should guide AI governance.

  • Why it matters

    As businesses and policymakers grapple with AI's risks and benefits, Smith suggests the Constitution offers a blueprint: protect individual rights while fostering innovation, establish standards for AI safety, invest in public-private partnerships for AI education, and ensure diverse representation in training data and evaluation frameworks. For business leaders, the message is that durable systems require both organizational agility and cross-sector collaboration rather than isolated corporate innovation.

  • What to watch

    Smith highlights that Intuit has practiced this adaptability for 40+ years, disrupting itself across multiple technology eras—from DOS disks to the web, mobile, cloud, and now AI. He calls for a "barn raising" mentality: collaborative governance rooted across companies, academia, government, and everyday people to ensure AI development is safe, ethical, and inclusive.

FAQ

What does Smith say American companies should do differently in the AI age?
Smith argues they should pair corporate agility with cross-sector collaboration. Beyond internal adaptability, he calls for establishing AI safety standards, investing in public-private partnerships for AI education, and ensuring training data and evaluation frameworks reflect the diversity of the people these systems serve.
How has Intuit applied the principle of deliberate self-disruption?
Smith states that Intuit has disrupted itself to lead through multiple technology eras for 40+ years, moving from DOS disks to the web, mobile, cloud, and now AI, by treating its foundational blueprints as living documents and embedding adaptability into its core operating practices.

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