(CNN) OpenAI CEO Sam Altman urged lawmakers to regulate artificial intelligence at a Senate committee hearing on Tuesday, saying the technology’s current boom is a potential “printing press moment.” However, he said safety measures were necessary.
In his opening remarks to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee, Mr. Altman said, “I believe government regulatory intervention will be important in de-risking an increasingly powerful model.”
Altman’s arrival comes after the viral success of the company’s chatbot tool, ChatGPT, which reignited the AI arms race and raised concerns from some lawmakers about the risks the technology poses.
Senator Richard Blumenthal began Tuesday’s hearing with a fake recording of his own voice, demonstrating the potential risks of the technology. The recording includes remarks written by ChatGPT and audio of Blumenthal’s voice generated using recordings of actual floor speeches, demonstrating that AI can be deployed in an unregulated environment. is not allowed, he argued.
Blumenthal explained that while ChatGPT accurately reflected the views of actual lawmakers, it could also have easily gained “support for the surrender of Ukraine and the leadership of Vladimir Putin.” It “would have been really scary,” he said.
Over the past few months, a growing list of tech companies have introduced new AI tools that could change the way we work, shop, and interact with each other. But those same tools have also drawn criticism from tech giants for their potential to disrupt millions of jobs, spread misinformation and perpetuate prejudice.
In his remarks on Tuesday, Altman said the potential for AI to be used to manipulate voters and target disinformation was one of “my biggest areas of concern”, noting that “the , and these models are being improved.” ”
Altman said Tuesday that one way the U.S. government can regulate the industry is by creating a licensing system for companies working on the most powerful AI systems. Altman said this “combination of licensing and testing requirements” could be applied to “development and release of AI models that exceed a threshold of competence.”
On Tuesday, IBM vice president and chief privacy trust officer Christina Montgomery and former New York University professor and self-described AI “hype” Gary Marcus will also testify.
Montgomery warned against ushering in a new era of “moving fast and breaking things” that Silicon Valley giants such as Facebook have long advocated. “The age of AI will never be the age of ‘moving fast and breaking things,'” Montgomery told lawmakers. Still, “no need to put the brakes on innovation,” she says.
Altman and Montgomery said AI may eliminate some jobs, but it may also create new ones.
“There will be an impact on jobs,” Altman told Blumenthal. “We’re trying to be very clear about it. I think it’s going to take industry-government partnerships to think about how to mitigate it, but it’s mostly action by governments. But , I am very optimistic about how great the job will be.” ”
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks at the Senate Judiciary, Privacy, Technology, and Law Subcommittee entitled “Oversight of AI: Rules for Artificial Intelligence,” May 16, 2023, at the US Capitol in Washington, D.C. testify at the hearing.
As CEO of OpenAI, perhaps more than anyone else, Altman has come to serve as the face of a new AI product that can generate images and text in response to user prompts.
Altman’s remarks came the day after he had dinner with more than 60 congressmen. At the bipartisan rally, which was roughly evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats, it was “very interesting” for Altman to demonstrate different ways to use ChatGPT, and lawmakers were “glued” to the event. According to a person involved in the event, he was seen.
Most of the attendees broadly acknowledged the need for regulation of AI, the official added.
California Democrat Rep. Law Khanna, who represents Silicon Valley, said Altman emphasized at the dinner that AI is a tool, not a “living creature,” and that AI “can help with tasks, not jobs.” Stated.
“Mr Altman’s most useful contribution has been to quash the hype,” Khanna told CNN.
Earlier this month, as part of a White House effort to emphasize the importance of ethical and responsible AI development, Altman met with Vice President Kamala Harris and, briefly, President Joe Biden. He was one of the tech CEOs.
In an interview this year, Altman described himself as someone who is mindful of the risks posed by AI and even “a little intimidated” by the technology. He and his company are committed to moving forward responsibly.
Some would like Altman and OpenAI to act more cautiously. Elon Musk, who helped found OpenAI before leaving the group, along with dozens of technology leaders, professors, and researchers to help artificial intelligence laboratories like OpenAI train the most powerful AI systems. He said he had signed a letter calling for the suspension of the business for at least six months. ‘A serious risk to society and humanity’
Altman said he agreed with parts of the letter. “I think it’s very important to act cautiously and be more rigorous about safety issues,” Altman said at an event last month. “I don’t think this letter was the best way to deal with it.”
— CNN’s Jennifer Cohn contributed to this report.
