CEO and co-founder of OpenAI, developer of the ChatGPT text generation program, Sam Altman has asked the United States Congress on Tuesday to regulate the development and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
In an appearance before a Senate subcommittee, Altman listed beneficial applications of the technology, From medicine to fighting the climate crisis and believe that AI can be used for the benefit of humanity.
but they’ve got the qualification that it’s government intervention is necessary around the world to ensure that these tools are developed in a way that protects and respects the rights and freedoms of citizens. “We believe that the benefits of the devices developed so far outweigh the risks,” the businessman said during the hearing.
Altman’s testimony is interrupted Concern from US officials From the possibility that the rapid progress of AI technologies may have unexpected effects on society. And, at the same time, it has joined calls from various sectors in recent weeks in favor of a regulation that curbs uncontrolled AI.
Lawmakers have cited risks such as job losses or the use of content creation tools by foreign actors to generate false information.
To clarify your concerns, Senator Richard Blumenthal, chair of the Privacy, Technology and Law Subcommittee and promoter of the audience, reproduced a recording made with artificial intelligence, which was written by ChatGPT, to emulate the congressman’s style and main focus. “Quoting ChatGPT, it doesn’t necessarily mean we want the future,” Blumenthal joked at the start of the event.
Altman has acknowledged that AI is likely to impact the job market, but has been optimistic that in the long run, the technology will create more new jobs than it destroys. “We are tremendously creative,” said the businessman.
Another guest at the event, IBM’s Director of Privacy and Trust, Christina Montgomery has cited its position as an example of work that did not exist prior to the development of AI.
Altman is also open to Blumenthal’s suggestion that the government develop independent laboratories to test the reliability of artificial intelligence models, and that they give them a grade similar to nutritional ratings of food.
The head of OpenAI has acknowledged that their products still make mistakes, but that over time they will become more and more reliable.
One of the senators driving the hearings, a Republican josh holly has assured that artificial intelligence is “one of the most important innovations in history”, but it is still unclear whether it will be in the same vein as the invention of the printing press or the atomic bomb.
Members of Congress agreed that while it is true that public regulation is needed, AI companies like OpenAI do not have to wait for Congress to put in place mechanisms to control the development of the technology in order to minimize harm. .
At the beginning of the month, the US government announced will invest $140 million To establish seven new artificial intelligence research institutes that will drive responsible innovation and ensure that advances in technology serve the common good.
The centers will join the 18 AI research institutes already operating in the country. In addition, the White House announced that major AI companies have agreed to undergo public evaluation of their systems during the DEF CON 31 hacker event to be held in Las Vegas in early August.
During the conference, thousands of participants will analyze whether these systems align with an AI Bill of Rights proposed by the US government, which includes principles such as the privacy of user data or protection against discriminatory algorithms.
