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From AI regulation to threat to jobs, 5 things Open AI CEO Sam Altman told US lawmakers
The hearing was opened by subcommittee chair Richard Blumenthal with an AI-powered audio clip sounding like the lawmaker's voice.
Open AI chief executive officer Sam Altman on Monday appeared before a Senate panel hearing which deliberated on artificial intelligence and the warnings about threats posed by it to society and democracy.
The hearing was opened by subcommittee chair Richard Blumenthal with an audio clip sounding like the lawmaker's voice. But it was actually written and composed through AI products.
During the hearing by US lawmakers, Altman called for regulation of AI in wake of his super innovation ChatGPT stunning the tech world. He urged the Congress to impose new rules on Big Tech despite deep political divisions which have blocked the legislation on regulating the internet.
Here are the five key things Altman said during the hearing.
1. Atlman, now the global face of AI has warned that the technology has the potential to improve nearly every aspect of people's lives but it also creates serious risks. The tech boss claimed that generative AI will address some of humanity's biggest challenges like climate change and curing cancer.
2. Speaking on disinformation risk, Altman stressed on regulatory intervention by governments which he said will be critical to mitigate the risks of such increasingly powerful models, AFP reported.
“Generating content is only one part of the disinformation lifecycle; false or misleading information also requires distribution to cause significant harm. We will continue to explore partnerships with industry and researchers, as well as with governments, that encompass the full disinformation lifecycle”, his written testimony read.
3. The OpenAI CEO also suggested that the Biden administration might consider licensing and testing requirements before the release of powerful AI models. It includes power to revoke the permits if rules were broken.
4. According to the AFP report, Altman recommended labelling and global coordination to set up rules over technology and creation of a dedicated US agency to handle AI.
5. The popularity of AI and its tools has triggered a scare about possible loss of livelihoods. During the hearing, Altman stressed on disruption to the labour market and called it one of his ‘greatest fears’. While calling on Congress to handle the impact, the OpenAI boss said AI would be good at tasks and not jobs. He also added that AI has the potential to create better quality jobs.
(With AFP, Bloomberg inputs)
