Top technology executives were summoned to the White House on Thursday and told they must protect the public from the dangers of artificial intelligence (AI). Google's Sundar Pichai, Microsoft's Satya Nadella, and OpenAI's Sam Altman were informed they have a 'moral' duty to safeguard society.
The White House made clear it may regulate the sector further. US Vice President Kamala Harris said the private sector has 'an ethical, moral, and legal responsibility to ensure the safety and security of their products'. The administration is open to new regulations and legislation to cover AI.
Sam Altman told reporters that executives were 'surprisingly on the same page on what needs to happen' regarding regulation. The White House also announced a $140m (£111m) investment from the National Science Foundation to launch seven new AI research institutes.
Concerns about AI include job displacement, inaccuracy, misinformation, copyright infringement, voice cloning fraud, and fake news. However, advocates like Bill Gates argue against a pause in AI development, suggesting it would not solve the challenges ahead and could give China a strategic advantage.
