In response to the rapid popularity of tools like ChatGPT and growing worries about the technology’s potential hazards for discrimination, misinformation, and privacy, the White House on Thursday unveiled a number of initiatives to address the difficulties posed by artificial intelligence.
According to the White House, the US government intends to implement regulations that will influence how federal agencies purchase and employ AI technology. The action might have a big impact on the market for AI products and how Americans use AI on websites run by the government, at security checkpoints, and in other places.
According to the White House, the National Science Foundation will also invest $140 million to support AI-related research and development. According to the administration, the money will be used to establish research facilities that aim to apply AI to problems including climate change, agriculture, and public health.
The proposal was made on the same day that Vice President Kamala Harris and other administration representatives met with the CEOs of Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, the company that created ChatGPT, and Anthropic to discuss the value of ethical and responsible AI development. Additionally, it coincides with a UK government investigation into the advantages and risks of AI that was started on Thursday.
A senior Biden administration official informed reporters on a conference call before the meeting about the essential duty and responsibility. A variety of problems that the public faces with the broad use of AI tools were mentioned by representatives on the call, including the potential use of deep fakes and false information produced by AI that may threaten the democratic process. The White House is also concerned about job losses related to increasing automation, biassed algorithmic decision-making, physical risks associated with autonomous cars, and the threat posed by AI-powered malevolent hackers.
President Joe Biden paid a surprise visit to the meeting on Thursday as it was going on, a person with knowledge of the issue told CNN. Biden, according to a White House representative, has received a thorough briefing on ChatGPT and has even used it.
After the discussion, the White House released a statement in which it stated that Biden and Harris “were clear that in order to realize the benefits that might come from advances in AI, it is imperative to mitigate both the current and potential risks AI poses to individuals, society, and national security.”
According to the White House, Biden “underlined that companies have a fundamental responsibility to ensure that their products are safe and secure before they are deployed or made public.”
According to a White House statement on the discussion, Harris reminded the firms that they have an “ethical, moral and legal responsibility to ensure the safety and security of their products” and that they will be held accountable under current US laws.
A further future regulation of the quickly changing business was hinted at by Aris.
In a statement, Harris added that “government, business, and other members of society must work together to address these challenges.” President Biden and I are committed to doing our bit to ensure that everyone may profit safely from technological advancements, including pursuing potential new regulations and supporting new legislation.
After the meeting, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre discussed it with journalists and characterised the exchange as “honest” and “frank.”
She stated, “The vice president and the president met with four CEOs here.” That demonstrates how seriously we treat it.
In order to make sure AI systems are secure and reliable, according to Jean-Pierre, AI companies must be more open and allow the public to analyse and evaluate their products.
Facebook’s parent company, Meta, is one organisation that has made significant investments in AI but was conspicuously absent from the gathering on Thursday. The company’s “single largest investment” according to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is in the research and development of artificial intelligence, which will be incorporated into all of the company’s products. However, it does not yet have a ChatGPT-like tool among its services.
Thursday, a government representative informed CNN that Meta had not received an invitation to the CEO summit. According to the official, “it was focused on companies that are currently leading in the space, especially on the consumer-facing product side.”
The discussion served as the most recent instance of how the federal government has acknowledged concerns resulting from the quick development and adoption of new AI capabilities and has worked to find solutions to some of the hazards.
Members of the Federal Trade Commission have testified before Congress and claimed AI might “turbocharge” fraud and frauds. Its head, Lina Khan, said this week in a New York Times op-ed that the US government already possesses the legal authority to regulate AI by drawing upon its duty to safeguard consumers and the free market.
The Biden administration released a proposal for an AI Bill of Rights last year, urging programmers to adhere to the values of confidentiality, security, and equality as they develop new AI capabilities.
