The deployment of artificial intelligence technology has drawn the attention of European Union lawmakers, who are calling for a regulatory clampdown on Microsoft-backed OpenAI’s ChatGPT and other powerful AI systems. In a joint letter released on Monday, the group of a dozen EU legislators stated their intention to draw up a set of rules tailored to AI foundations, with the goal of steering the advancements in the technology toward a human-centred and safe development.
This move by EU legislators follows Elon Musk and more than a thousand experts from the AI field’s appeal for a six-month pause on the development of powerful AI systems, due to potential perils should the technology be left unchecked. The group of EU lawmakers echoed the same sentiments of caution in their letter, noting the dangers of inaction may lead to a widening gap between the growth of AI and our ability to control it.
This is further backed by the Biden administration’s request for the American public to comment on measures to ensure the safety of AI tools – a possible prelude to the regulation of the technology. Even Google CEO Sundar Pichai shared the need to introduce safeguards that would protect the public from any potential negative outcomes caused by AI.
To this end, the legislators are hoping to put together a revised and updated version of the proposed EU Artificial Intelligence Act – a draft that has been in the works since 2019. The passage of the bill, which will be subject to voting in the European Parliament and negotiations in the European Council, could potentially be used as a benchmark for legislation across the world.
The matter of the OpenAI-backed ChatGPT and other AI tools have also recently been of relevance to tech mogul Elon Musk recently, with the news that the entrepreneur has decided to launch a new AI company, X.AI Corp. The sole listed director for the Nevada-based business – Musk himself – has authorized the sale of 100 million shares for the privately-held firm.
