Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and other businesses at the forefront of artificial intelligence development have agreed to meet a list of AI safeguards negotiated by President Joe Biden's administration.
The White House announced on Friday that it has obtained voluntary commitments from seven U.S. businesses to assure the safety of their AI technologies before they are released. Some of the promises call for third-party oversight of commercial AI systems' operations, but they do not specify who will audit the technology or hold the businesses accountable.
The White House announced on Friday that it has obtained voluntary agreements from seven US firms to assure the safety of their AI technologies before they are released. Some of the promises call for third-party oversight of the operations of commercial AI systems, but they don't specify who will audit the technology or hold the corporations accountable.
A boom in commercial investment in generative AI tools that can write convincingly human-like language and generate new images and other media has piqued public interest while also raising concerns about their ability to deceive people and disseminate disinformation, among other risks.
The four digital behemoths, along with ChatGPT producer OpenAI and startups Anthropic and Inflection, have committed to security testing "carried out in part by independent experts" to guard against key threats like as biosecurity and cybersecurity, according to a statement from the White House.
The corporations have also agreed to mechanisms for exposing vulnerabilities in their systems, as well as the use of digital watermarking to aid differentiate between actual and AI-generated images known as deepfakes.
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According to the White House, they will also publicly reveal problems and hazards in their technology, including the effects on fairness and bias.
The voluntary promises are intended to alleviate hazards in the short term before a longer-term drive to get Congress to enact legislation regulating the technology.
Some proponents of AI restrictions say Biden's action is a start, but more must be done to hold firms and their products accountable.
"History would indicate that many tech companies do not actually walk the walk on a voluntary pledge to act responsibly and support strong regulations," said James Steyer, president and CEO of the group Common Sense Media, in a statement.
Senator Chuck Schumer, D-NY, has stated that he will present legislation to regulate AI. He has arranged a series of briefings with government officials to educate senators on a matter that has piqued the interest of both parties.
A number of technology leaders have urged for regulation, and some met with Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and other officials at the White House in May.
However, some experts and upstart competitors are concerned that the proposed regulations will benefit deep-pocketed first-movers such as OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft by pushing smaller players out due to the high cost of making their AI systems known as large language models comply with regulatory requirements.
The software trade association BSA, which includes Microsoft as a member, commended the Biden administration's efforts to establish standards for high-risk AI systems on Friday.
"Enterprise software companies look forward to working with the administration and Congress to enact legislation that addresses the risks associated with artificial intelligence and promotes its benefits," the organization stated in a statement.
A number of countries, including European Union politicians who have been discussing broad AI legislation for the 27-nation bloc, have been looking into ways to control AI.
According to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the organization is "the ideal place" to establish international standards. He also created a group to submit recommendations for a global AI governance framework by the end of the year.As with the International Atomic Energy Agency or the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the UN Secretary-General also said he supported proposals from some nations to create a new UN body to support international efforts to control AI.