The UK government is set to investigate the rapid rise of consumer Artificial Intelligence (AI) such as ChatGPT and its potential implications for consumers, businesses, and the economy. Last Thursday, the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) stated they would measure the effects of the development and deployment of such AI, conforming with five core principles: safety and security; transparency and explainability; fairness; accountability and governance; and contestability and redress.
Sarah Cardell, the CEO of the CMA, noted the potential of AI to “transform the way businesses compete as well as drive substantial economic growth,” and called for reliable protection measures for UK citizens from issues such as false or misleading information. In a show of support, the US Department of Commerce recently hosted a meeting with the CEOs of leading AI companies Alphabet, OpenAI, Microsoft and Anthropic. Led by Vice President Kamila Harris, the discussion focused heavily on the ethical management of advanced AI products and their implications for consumer safety.
Outside of government talks, tech influencers such as Twitter CEO Elon Musk and Stability AI CEO Emad Mostaque have also raised concerns in an open letter to the US government. The letter calls for the pause of development of AI more powerful than the OpenAI’s GPT-4, which raises the issues of the machines ultimately outnumbering, outsmarting and possibly even replacing humans.
The issues raised in the letter and the discussions of the UK and US governments regarding AI highlight the need to address the full range of implications AI presents before it is able to reach its full potential – whether it be in the form of the GPT-4, ChatGPT, or other AI applications.
