Tech Firms’ Voluntary Safeguards for Emergent AI Technologies
The White House announced the commitment of leading tech companies, including Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and OpenAI, to a set of voluntary safeguards for emergent AI technologies.
- These commitments aim to ensure the safety and security of AI products before release.
- The safeguards address potential societal harm, such as bias, discrimination, and misuse.
- The companies that have pledged to follow the safeguards include Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and OpenAI.
On Friday, July 21st, the White House announced the commitment of leading tech companies, including Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and OpenAI, to a set of voluntary AI safeguards. President Joe Biden hailed the move as a significant step toward managing the “enormous” promise and risks posed by emergent AI technologies.
In brief remarks from the Roosevelt Room at the White House, President Biden said, “We must be clear-eyed and vigilant about the threats emerging technologies can pose. These commitments are a promising step, but we have a lot more work to do together.” He added that “social media has shown us the harm that powerful technology can do without the right safeguards in place.”
The new commitments aim to ensure the safety and security of emergent AI technologies before their release, with a focus on addressing potential societal harms, such as bias, discrimination, and misuse. The companies have agreed on the following:
- Using watermarks on audio and visual content to distinguish AI-generated material.
- Allowing independent experts to perform “red-teaming” to identify potential weaknesses.
- Sharing trust and safety information with the government and other companies.
- Investing in cybersecurity measures to protect AI systems.
- Encouraging third parties to identify and report security vulnerabilities.
- Reporting societal risks, including inappropriate uses and bias.
- Prioritizing research on AI’s societal risks.
- Utilizing cutting-edge AI systems, known as frontier models, to address critical social issues.
While the commitments are voluntary, the companies have pledged to follow these standards, which will be a stopgap measure until Congress passes more comprehensive AI regulations. President Biden urged the companies to be innovative while ensuring safety and responsibility. To that, Microsoft President Brad Smith said, “By moving quickly, the White House’s commitments create a foundation to help ensure the promise of A.I. stays ahead of its risks.”
However, some advocates for AI regulations argue that voluntary safeguards may not be sufficient to hold companies accountable and protect the public interest. “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, founder, and CEO of the non-profit Common Sense Media.
Despite being a positive step, critics argue that the guidelines do not go far enough in addressing wider concerns about emergent AI technologies’ impact on society, job displacement, and environmental implications. They call for broader public deliberation and more robust enforcement mechanisms to ensure accountability.
European regulators are poised to adopt A.I. laws later this year, which has prompted many companies to encourage U.S. regulations. Several lawmakers have introduced bills that include licensing for A.I. companies to release their technologies, the creation of a federal agency to oversee the industry, and data privacy requirements. But members of Congress are far from agreement on rules.
In an attempt to improve lawmakers’ understanding, Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, began a series of sessions this summer to hear from government officials and experts about the merits and dangers of emergent AI technologies across a number of fields.
The ongoing global discussions on AI governance may pave the way for future standards and regulations to address these challenges effectively.
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