Sam Altman, the driving force behind the innovative ChatGPT developed by OpenAI, urged American legislators to regulate artificial intelligence (AI). Presenting before a US Senate committee, Altman elaborated on the opportunities and challenges that come with this emerging technology.
Rising Tides of AI Models
Within a short period, a slew of AI models have been introduced to the market. Altman proposed that a new agency be established to oversee licensing for AI organizations. ChatGPT and similar systems are capable of generating highly human-like responses but could also produce misleading information.
Altman, aged 38, emerged as a key spokesperson for the rapidly growing industry, addressing the ethical dilemmas that AI poses, and advocating for increased regulatory measures. He compared the potential of AI to the influence of the printing press but also acknowledged the possible risks.
According to Altman, if the application of this technology deviates, the consequences could be severe. “We aspire to be forthright about this and want to collaborate with the government to preclude such outcomes,” he stated.
Potential Impacts of AI on the Economy
Altman discussed the potential effects of AI on the economy, including the chance that AI technology could displace certain jobs, resulting in redundancies in some sectors. He added that the government needs to strategize on how to buffer such impacts.
However, Altman expressed optimism about the quality of future jobs, “The jobs of the future are promising,” he said.
The Debate on AI Regulation in Congress
In response, some legislators suggested the need for laws that would make it easier for individuals to sue OpenAI. Altman expressed his concerns about potential repercussions on democracy and the use of AI for disseminating targeted misinformation during elections – an issue he noted as one of his primary concerns.
Altman provided several recommendations for how a potential new agency in the US could regulate the industry. These included a blend of licensing and testing requirements for AI firms. He further recommended that entities like OpenAI should be subjected to independent audits.
A Call for A New Regulatory Framework
Altman testified to the Senate judiciary committee that the regulation of AI is essential, advocating for regulatory safeguards that would maximize the benefits of AI while minimizing the harms.
Altman suggested that the US government could consider imposing licensing and testing prerequisites for the development and deployment of AI models. He further proposed that these models should meet a set of safety standards and pass a specific test before deployment.
He also stressed the importance of having these models independently reviewed before they are launched. Altman stated, “For a very new technology we need a new framework.”
Drawing Parallels Between Social Media and AI
Throughout the hearing, comparisons were drawn between social media and generative AI, highlighting the lessons that could be learned from the government’s past failures in regulating social platforms.
OpenAI’s Efforts in Tackling Misinformation
Altman underscored his concerns over the influence of AI-generated services on elections and misinformation, especially in the run-up to the primaries. He stated, “We can and do monitor at scale… we can detect someone generating a lot of [misinformation] tweets.”
However, Altman admitted that the question of compensating content creators whose work is utilized in AI-generated creations remains a complex issue. He disclosed that OpenAI is in discussions with artists and other stakeholders to explore viable economic models.
In response to concerns over potential threats to local news publications resulting from content scraping to train AI models, Altman suggested that the tools could assist journalists and expressed OpenAI’s willingness to support local news wherever possible.
Concerns Over Dominance in the AI Industry
One point that was briefly touched upon but largely missing from the dialogue was the potential risk of a few powerful entities dominating the AI industry. Such a dynamic could reinforce existing power structures, a concern that has been raised by several AI experts and ethicists.
Altman concluded by expressing his belief that while AI might significantly impact the job market, “There will be far better jobs on the other side of this.”