Seven tech companies and startups have agreed to a set of artificial intelligence (AI) safety standards set forward by the White House.
Key Details
- The White House announced on Friday that it has secured voluntary commitments from major tech companies working in AI to address ongoing concerns about the technology.
- The companies include Amazon, Google, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic, and Inflection.
- The statement says that tech companies have a responsibility to maximize the potential of their products and services while keeping them safe.
- The agreement includes internal safety testing of products before they are revealed to the public, publicly disclosing risks, prioritizing security, implementing watermarking systems on generated content, addressing bias and privacy issues, and earning the public’s trust.
Why It’s Important
The world changed forever on November 30, 2022, with the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT—which has set off eight months of rapid developments and research in the tech sphere, with major corporations and startups alike—including Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Baidu—rushing to have the first and best AI solutions available on the market.
The rapid change has drawn praise for AI’s innovative potential as equally as it has fears about its destructive power—with watchdogs and critics claiming that AI will destroy jobs, violate privacy, violate copyright law, and ultimately destroy the world. AI developers have opposed these claims, arguing that AI will be designed to work in conjunction with people for their benefit without becoming sentient and dangerous.
The government is already getting close to releasing federal regulations, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer taking the lead on a bipartisan broad framework designed to promote accountability and transparency among AI companies and productions. The White House’s newest announcement suggests AI companies are eager to cooperate with the government to show that their products are safe and regulated, although some critics argue this is not enough.
“History would indicate that many tech companies do not actually walk the walk on a voluntary pledge to act responsibly and support strong regulations,” says Common Sense Media CEO James Steyer.
“We welcome the President’s leadership in bringing the tech industry together to hammer out concrete steps that will help make AI safer, more secure, and more beneficial for the public,” says Microsoft.
