July 31, 2023
Artificial intelligence provides vast opportunities for societal progress. At the same time, however, AI instills apprehension in many due its novelty and unprecedented capabilities. For this reason, it is crucial to establish robust safeguards to ensure its ethical and secure implementation. Recently, the Biden-Harris administration in the United States has taken proactive measures to address this critical issue.
The Biden-Harris administration has set its sights on implementing comprehensive safeguards to govern the development and deployment of AI technology. Seven technology firms leading the development of AI have committed to following the White House’s recommendations. Representatives from Amazon, Anthropic, Google, Inflection, Meta, Microsoft and OpenAI joined President Biden in making the announcement.
The named companies have agreed to the following commitments:
· Security testing of their AI systems by internal and external experts before their release;
· Ensuring that people are able to spot AI by implementing watermarks;
· Publicly reporting AI capabilities and limitations on a regular basis; and
· Researching the risks that AI produces, such as bias, discrimination and the invasion of privacy.
Nonetheless, critics of the Biden administration note that these commitments do not go far enough in regulating the AI space. To be sure, White House officials say they are working closely with Congress to develop legislation that will provide for more robust safeguards.
Alexa Guerra