On Tuesday, the CEO of OpenAI, the firm behind ChatGPT, told a Senate subcommittee that using artificial intelligence to tamper with election integrity is a “major area of concern,” and that it requires legislation.
“I’m scared about that,” CEO Sam Altman said of elections and artificial intelligence, adding that regulations and procedures are required.
For months, corporations of all sizes have rushed to bring increasingly flexible AI to market, pouring unending data and billions of dollars into the effort. Some detractors believe that the technology would increase societal problems such as bias and disinformation, while others predict that AI could terminate mankind.
“There’s no way to put this genie in the bottle. Globally, this is exploding,” said Senator Cory Booker, one of many lawmakers with questions about how best to regulate AI.
Senator Mazie Hirono noted the danger of misinformation as the 2024 election nears. “In the election context, for example, I saw a picture of former President Trump being arrested by NYPD and that went viral,” she said, pressing Altman on whether he would consider the faked image harmful.
Altman responded that creators should make clear when an image is generated rather than factual.
Speaking before Congress for the first time, Altman suggested that, in general, the U.S. should consider licensing and testing requirements for development of AI models.
Altman, asked to opine on which AI should be subject to licensing, said a model that can persuade or manipulate a person’s beliefs would be an example of a “great threshold.”
He also said companies should have the right to say they do not want their data used for AI training, which is one idea being discussed on Capitol Hill. Altman said, however, that material on the public web would be fair game.
Altman also said he “wouldn’t say never” to the idea of advertising but preferred a subscription-based model.
The White House has convened top technology CEOs including Altman to address AI. U.S. lawmakers likewise are seeking action to further the technology’s benefits and national security while limiting its misuse. Consensus is far from certain.
An OpenAI staffer recently proposed the creation of a U.S. licensing agency for AI, which could be called the Office for AI Safety and Infrastructure Security, or OASIS, Reuters has reported.
OpenAI is backed by Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O). Altman is also calling for global cooperation on AI and incentives for safety compliance.
Christina Montgomery, International Business Machines Corp (IBM.N) chief privacy and trust officer, urged Congress to focus regulation on areas with the potential to do the greatest societal harm.
