The world’s major tech giants have joined forces to address the risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI) and have made a voluntary commitment to the Biden administration. During a meeting on July 21, US President Joe Biden met with representatives from Google, Microsoft, Meta, OpenAI, Amazon, Anthropic, and Inflection. The companies agreed to prioritize safety, information, and trust in the development of AI technologies.
One of the main concerns addressed by the tech giants is the potential for AI systems to generate inaccurate information and perpetuate bias and inequality. OpenAI’s ChatGPT, for example, has faced criticism for providing incorrect answers and citing non-existent sources. As the use of AI devices expands, these potential problems have gained renewed attention.
Meta, formerly known as Facebook, expressed its support for the White House agreement. The company recently launched the second generation of its AI language model, Llama 2, which is now open source. Meta’s President of Global Affairs, Nick Clegg, emphasized the importance of transparency and collaboration between tech companies, governments, academia, and civil society in ensuring the responsible development of AI systems.
Microsoft also praised the agreement, with its Vice Chair and President, Brad Smith, stating that the White House statement will serve as a foundation for ensuring the commitment to AI safety remains strong. Microsoft, a partner on Meta’s Llama 2, has been incorporating AI into its products, such as Bing search, and aims to introduce more AI-powered devices.
The voluntary commitment to the Biden administration is part of OpenAI’s ongoing efforts to collaborate with governments, organizations, and societies worldwide to advance AI governance. Amazon, as one of the leading developers and deployers of AI devices and services, expressed its dedication to driving innovation while implementing safeguards to protect consumers.
Anthropic, another AI company, stressed the importance of industry-wide collaboration in promoting AI safety. The company plans to announce its specific plans regarding cybersecurity, red teaming, and responsible scaling in the coming weeks. Inflection AI’s CEO, Mustafa Suleyman, highlighted the need for tangible progress in the AI field and expressed frustration with the current state of advancement versus hype and panic.
Google’s President of Global Affairs, Kent Walker, described the agreement as a milestone in bringing the industry together to ensure that AI benefits everyone. Google has previously announced efforts to identify AI-generated content through its AI model, Gemini, which checks metadata to indicate whether content has been created by AI.
The voluntary commitment follows previous calls for AI regulation and safety. Over 1,000 tech leaders, including Elon Musk, signed an open letter in March urging caution in AI development. In June, CEOs from OpenAI and DeepMind, along with other scientists, signed a statement warning of AI risks. Additionally, Microsoft released a report in May advocating for AI regulation to address potential risks and malicious actors.
The Biden administration is also working on an executive order and seeking bipartisan legislation to ensure the safety of Americans from AI. Guidelines for federal agencies procuring AI systems are expected to be released by the US Office of Management and Budget.
To read the voluntary statement between the companies and the White House in full, please follow the provided link.
