[CamperBob2]

If AI turns out to be no big deal, then you're right, there's no rush to compete. And there's also no rush to regulate. Conversely, if AI turns out to to be a huge deal, then we certainly won't end up wishing we'd held ourselves back with regulation while rival/adversary nations plowed forward at full speed.

Look at the people who will be doing the regulating. They'll get right on it after they decide which flavor of genocide to support, what books your local library gets to purchase, and who gets to use what restroom.

Basically there is almost zero upside to early government intervention, but the potential downside to regulation is unbounded. That makes it a very easy call, to my way of thinking.