AI experts at leading universities favor creating a federal “Department of AI” or a global regulator to govern artificial intelligence over leaving that to Congress, the White House or the private sector.

The big picture: That’s the top-level finding of the new Axios-Generation Lab-Syracuse University AI Experts Survey of computer science professors from top U.S. research universities.

The survey found experts split over when or if AI will escape human control — but unified in a view that the emerging technologies must be regulated.

• “Regulation” was the top response when asked what action would move AI in a positive direction.
• Just 1 in 6 said AI shouldn’t or can’t be regulated. Only a handful trust the private sector to self-regulate.
• About 1 in 5 predicted AI will “definitely” stay in human control. The rest were split between those saying AI will “probably” or “definitely” get out of human control and those saying “probably not.”

The intrigue: No one individual is highly trusted to deal with AI issues.

• President Biden took the top spot, with 9% of respondents — slightly higher than Sundar Pichai, […]