White House to discuss AI’s promise and risks with tech giants

The White House is set to host discussions with leading executives from Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic, aimed at tackling the potential risks and benefits of artificial intelligence(AI). The agenda includes Vice President Kamala Harris and other US administration officials exploring methods to ensure consumers reap the advantages of AI while remaining safeguarded from its potential dangers, as stated in an invitation revealed by AFP. President Joe Biden anticipates tech firms will ensure the safety of their products before launching them for public use.

Last month, US regulators initiated the process of developing AI regulations, possibly leading to the White House applying the brakes on new technologies such as ChatGPT. The US Department of Commerce sought input from industry stakeholders, which will contribute to informing the Biden administration’s approach to drafting AI regulations. The Commerce Department previously emphasised the importance of public, government, and business assurances that AI systems serve their intended purposes, much like regulations applied to food and cars.

Although the United States produces some of the most significant innovations in tech and AI, including Microsoft-backed OpenAI that developed ChatGPT, it lags in international regulation of the sector. As a result, Google is trying to catch up with ChatGPT by inviting users in the US and the United Kingdom to test its AI chatbot, Bard.

Biden has encouraged Congress to implement more stringent regulations on the tech industry. However, due to political divisions among legislators, these efforts face an uphill struggle. The absence of rules has granted Silicon Valley the freedom to release new products quickly, raising concerns about AI technologies damaging society before the authorities can intervene.

Billionaire businessman Elon Musk has established an AI company named X.AI in Nevada, USA, according to business documents. Despite being CEO of Twitter and Tesla, Musk’s position as a director of X.AI Corporation seems to place him in competition with OpenAI. This new venture comes after Musk joined other technology leaders and AI critics in pushing for a temporary halt in the development of AI.

Tech giants Google, Meta, and Microsoft have spent years developing AI systems to assist with tasks such as translations, internet searches, security, and targeted advertising. However, it wasn’t until San Francisco-based OpenAI unveiled ChatGPT, a bot capable of generating realistic text responses from short prompts, that interest in the AI sector reached new heights, reports Channel News Asia.