The White House And Big Tech Companies Release Commitments On Managing AI
White House and big tech companies make promises on AI governance
Posted by Deepa Shivaram | NPR
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WASHINGTON, DC (NPR) — Presidents and CEOs of major AI technology companies have agreed on a series of commitments to share, test and develop new AI technologies, the White House said.
Seven companies - Google, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, OpenAI, Anthropic and Inflection - will meet at the White House on Friday to announce voluntary agreements. President Biden will also make comments.
"American companies lead the world in innovation and they have a responsibility to do so and continue to do so, but they have an equal responsibility to ensure the safety and reliability of their products," White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients told NPR.
But there is no clear description of how the White House can hold companies accountable if they fail to meet their obligations.
“We will use every leverage we have in the federal government to enforce these commitments and standards. At the same time, we need legislation," Zienz said.
White House officials say they are working closely with Congress to develop an artificial intelligence bill that will regulate the technology, as well as executive action to be announced in the coming weeks.
What's in the connections?
Companies' technical commitments cover information sharing, testing, and transparency with government and the public. But not many details were offered in Friday's announcement.
For example, there is an obligation to develop mechanisms to allow users to know when content is created by artificial intelligence through a watermark. The companies also said they are committed to avoiding bias and discrimination and protecting privacy.
The companies have also committed to third-party testing of their artificial intelligence systems before launch. An example of this will take place next month at the DEF-CON hacker conference in Las Vegas. Some companies, including Google and OpenAI, will test their artificial intelligence systems there with support from the White House. In addition, there is no clear definition of who will control third parties and how they will be selected.
But the White House says these deals are just the first step.
“Commitments made by companies are a good start, but they are only the beginning,” Zients said. "The key here is implementation and execution to make these companies work and earn the trust of the public."
Critics say big tech companies shouldn't be at the center of the conversation
Some AI experts have expressed concern that big tech companies are at the forefront of the AI regulation debate.
The White House also held hearings with civil rights and labor leaders on how AI is affecting their jobs.
But Ifeoma Ajunwa, an Emory law professor who studies the intersection of technology and work, said she was disappointed that those financially interested in advancing AI were at the forefront of White House announcements about AI.
"We also want to make sure we include other non-commercial records," he said. "We certainly need to invite business leaders and tech titans to this conversation, but they shouldn't be leading the conversation."
There are also concerns that bundling larger, more established companies into new deals will give these companies an edge but stifle smaller startups.
“Bigger, more established companies can play to their advantage, while newcomers have no say,” said Victor Menaldo, professor of political economy at the University of Washington. “Big companies love to do this kind of thing because they have already proven themselves, so they say, 'Oh, the rules of the road will work for us.' "
In a telephone conversation with reporters on Thursday, White House officials did not confirm whether any new companies would join the agreements, apart from the seven that signed them.
“We hope that other companies will see the extent to which they are also required to comply with safety and trust standards. And they can choose, and we appreciate their choice, to fulfill these obligations,” the White House spokesman said.
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