Rosalind Evans
The vanguards of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, namely Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and other prominent tech firms, have pledged to adhere to AI safety protocols instituted by the Biden administration.
The White House announced that it had obtained voluntary promises from seven US companies to ensure their AI products’ safety before they hit the market. The commitments include a provision for third-party scrutiny of commercial AI operations, although specifics about who will audit the tech or enforce company accountability are yet to be clarified.
A spike in private investments in generative AI technologies, capable of producing compelling human-like text and creating new multimedia content, has sparked public interest and concern over potential misuse, like deception and the propagation of disinformation.
These tech behemoths, along with OpenAI – the creators of ChatGPT, and budding enterprises like Anthropic and Inflection, have agreed to implement security testing, partially executed by independent professionals, to protect against significant threats such as biosecurity and cybersecurity risks, the White House clarified in a press release.
In addition, the companies have committed to vulnerability reporting mechanisms and using digital watermarks to differentiate between genuine and AI-generated images, or ‘deep fakes’. They have also pledged to disclose publicly any flaws or risks associated with their technology, including issues about fairness and bias, as stated by the White House.
These voluntary commitments aim to tackle immediate risks as part of a longer-term initiative to persuade Congress to regulate technology. As part of their commitment, company executives are set to convene with President Biden at the White House on Friday.
While some proponents of AI regulations appreciate this initiative as a positive first step, they emphasize the necessity for more substantial measures to ensure the accountability of these companies and their products.
“Tech companies’ track record indicates a disconnect between their promise of responsible action and the enforcement of stringent regulations,” commented James Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., intends to propose legislation to regulate AI. He has committed to collaborating closely with the Biden administration and bipartisan colleagues to enhance the commitments.
Several tech executives have voiced their support for regulation and engaged in dialogue with President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and other officials in May. Microsoft President Brad Smith stated in a blog post on Friday that his company is going beyond the White House’s commitment by endorsing a regulation that introduces a “licensing regime for competent models”.
However, some industry experts and nascent competitors are wary that the suggested regulation could favour financially robust early adopters like OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft at the expense of smaller entities struggling to comply with the regulatory constraints on their large language models.
Multiple countries are exploring AI regulation strategies, including EU lawmakers negotiating comprehensive AI rules for the 27-member union to restrain the highest-risk applications.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently stated that the UN is ideally positioned to establish global standards and has commissioned a panel to submit a report on international AI governance options by the end of the year. He also welcomed proposals from various countries to form a new UN entity to support worldwide efforts to govern AI, using examples like the International Atomic Energy Agency or the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change as inspiration.
The White House has already discussed these voluntary commitments with numerous countries.
The push for AI regulation is a national and global issue. With the intersection of AI and everyday life becoming more profound, the commitments from tech giants are a step towards ensuring safety, fairness, and accountability in the technology that continues to reshape our world. It is clear that as we move forward, the collective efforts of governments, tech companies, and international organizations will be crucial in creating a balanced, safe, and inclusive AI-driven future.
