Vice President Kamala Harris is meeting Thursday with the chief executive officers from top artificial intelligence firms Alphabet Inc., Microsoft Corp., OpenAI Inc., and Anthropic as part of a Biden administration effort to pressure companies to implement safeguards around the emerging technology.
(Bloomberg) — Vice President Kamala Harris is meeting Thursday with the chief executive officers from top artificial intelligence firms Alphabet Inc., Microsoft Corp., OpenAI Inc., and Anthropic as part of a Biden administration effort to pressure companies to implement safeguards around the emerging technology.
Harris and administration officials plan to tell the corporate leaders that they have a responsibility to mitigate potential harm from AI tools, according to a White House official.
An invitation to the meeting obtained by Bloomberg says the administration is seeking “a frank discussion of the risks we each see in current and near-term AI development, actions to mitigate those risks, and other ways we can work together to ensure the American people benefit from advances in AI while being protected from its harms.”
Generative artificial intelligence tools have come under increased regulatory scrutiny as their popular use has exploded in recent months following the debut of ChatGPT. Microsoft has incorporated AI technology into its Bing search product, and Google released its rival Bard chatbot in March.
Google and Microsoft didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
But critics have raised myriad concerns about the technology, including possible bias, privacy violations, and worries AI could result in the proliferation of misinformation or scams. Last week, Group of Seven digital ministers said that member nations should adopt “risk-based” regulation of AI, while European Union lawmakers reached a preliminary agreement on the AI Act, which would regulate the emerging technology.
In the US, the Commerce Department in April signaled it was considering regulations that could require AI models to go through a certification process before they are released. Some senior tech leaders – including Twitter chief executive Elon Musk – have called for the federal government to impose new rules.
“I think we should be cautious with AI, and I think there should be some government oversight because it is a danger to the public,” Musk said last month in an interview with Fox News.
In addition to the vice president, White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and Biden technology adviser Arati Prabhakar are expected to attend. Biden economic adviser Lael Brainard, senior advisers Susan Rice and Bruce Reed, and White House Counsel Stuart Delery are also slated to participate in the meeting.
The meeting is part of a broader effort to engage companies, researchers, and civil society advocates, the White House official said.
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