CEO of OpenAI calls for US to regulate artificial intelligence
The creator of the advanced chatbot ChatGPT has called for US legislators to regulate artificial Intelligence (AI).
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI (the company behind ChatGPT), testified in front of a US Senate Committee on Tuesday. He spoke about the potential – and the pitfalls – of this new technology.
In just a few months, there have been several AI models in the market.
Mr. Altman suggested that a new licensing agency be created to deal with AI companies.
ChatGPT, and other similar programs, can provide answers that are incredibly accurate but also human-like.
Mr. Altman, 38, has become a spokesman of sorts for the burgeoning industry. He has not shied away from addressing the ethical questions that AI raises and has pushed for more regulation.
He acknowledged that AI’s potential dangers but said it could be as large as the “printing press”.
He acknowledged the potential impact of AI on the economy. This includes the possibility that AI technology may replace certain jobs and lead to layoffs.
“There will be an impact on jobs. We try to be very clear about that,” he said.
However, some senators argued new laws were needed to make it easier for people to sue OpenAI.
Mr Altman told legislators he was worried about the potential impact on democracy, and how AI could be used to send targeted misinformation during elections.
He gave several suggestions for how a new agency in the US could regulate the industry – including giving out and taking away permits for AI companies.
He also said firms like OpenAI should be independently audited.
Republican Senator Josh Hawley said the technology could be revolutionary, but also compared the new tech to the invention of the “atomic bomb”.
Democrat Senator Richard Blumenthal observed that an AI-dominated future “is not necessarily the future that we want”.
“We need to maximize the good over the bad. Congress has a choice now. We had the same choice when we faced social media. We failed to seize that moment,” he warned.
What was clear from the testimony is that there is bipartisan support for a new body to regulate the industry.
However, the technology is moving so fast that legislators also wondered whether such an agency could keep up.
