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Leading US AI Companies Commit to Safeguards for Technology
A group of prominent technology companies in the United States, including Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI, have voluntarily agreed to follow certain safeguards for their artificial intelligence (AI) technology. This move comes in response to the White House’s call for responsible development of AI. The companies have committed to a set of principles, which will remain in effect until Congress passes legislation to regulate AI.
Emphasis on Responsible Development under the Biden Administration
The Biden administration has placed a strong emphasis on ensuring responsible development of AI technology. Government officials are striving to strike a balance between promoting innovation in generative AI and ensuring public safety, individual rights, and democratic values. Vice President Kamala Harris, in a meeting with CEOs from OpenAI, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Anthropic in May, emphasized the importance of safety and security in AI products. President Joe Biden has also held discussions with leaders in the AI field to address key concerns regarding AI.
Eight Key Measures for Safety, Security, and Social Responsibility
According to a draft document obtained by Bloomberg, the tech companies are expected to agree to eight suggested measures related to safety, security, and social responsibility. These measures include allowing independent experts to test AI models for potential harmful behavior, investing in cybersecurity, encouraging third parties to identify security vulnerabilities, acknowledging societal risks such as biases and inappropriate uses, prioritizing research into the societal risks of AI, sharing trust and safety information with other companies and the government, watermarking AI-generated audio and visual content, and utilizing state-of-the-art AI systems to address society’s greatest challenges.
The Voluntary Nature of the Agreement and Regulatory Challenges
The voluntary nature of this agreement highlights the challenges faced by lawmakers in keeping pace with the rapid advancement of AI technology. Several bills have been introduced in Congress with the intention of regulating AI. One of these bills aims to prevent companies from using Section 230 protections to evade liability for harmful AI-generated content, while another seeks to require disclosures in political ads when generative AI is utilized. Notably, restrictions on the use of generative AI in congressional offices have reportedly been imposed by administrators in the House of Representatives.