If you don’t regulate generative AI now, the consequences will be catastrophic later

It’s safe to say that Sam Altman has taken a bold step.

The CEO of the company behind ChatGPT called on the federal government to tighten regulations and restrictions on artificial intelligence systems in a recent congressional testimony.

“At this critical time, what we need is clear, rational policies and sound guardrails,” Altman said. “These guardrails must be aligned with meaningful steps for the business community to do its part and achieve the best results for our customers. It should be a question of getting.”

Technology CEOs rarely actively seek government regulation of technology. And this is especially rare from a company leader experiencing rapid growth like ChatGPT. Anyone in a position like Altman would expect to struggle with restrictions and guardrails.

Quite frankly, this is a tipping point. Given the current state of generative AI, privacy, accuracy, bias, and abuse are all potential factors that can lead to devastating consequences. Altman’s plea recognizes the technology’s great potential, while also acknowledging that it has flaws that cause serious problems for consumers and businesses.

For example, consider the pernicious aftermath of a law professor who was wrongfully accused of sexual assault when a ChatGPT search yielded misinformation about him. The falsely accused professor had no means of removing such information.

Or consider a group of students at Texas A&M who were temporarily denied their diplomas after completing an assignment on ChatGPT because their professor erroneously concluded that the assignment had been plagiarized.

AI bias is also an issue. The algorithm that Apple uses to determine the creditworthiness of his Apple Card, a new credit card, tells a male applicant that his wife received She was given twenty times as many credits as she did. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak also acknowledged the problem, even admitting that he is ten times more trusted than his wife.

There are many other examples of how generative AI can be life-changing if it goes wrong. So what should be done, and who should do it?

Altman is right. It should be a group effort with legislative guardrails and a more responsible use of AI by businesses.

For Congress to address the pernicious flaws of generative AI platforms, it needs to understand issues such as bias and abuse prevention, data accuracy, data privacy, and data quality transparency, to name a few. We need to gather insights from a diverse set of voters.

It is also imperative that the federal government develops new regulations with empathy and considers how damaging the effects of AI errors will be. We need to hear real stories from the individuals and companies that have fallen victim to AI inaccuracies and legislate safeguards to ensure data accuracy, fairness, privacy and quality.

There are also important steps companies using generative AI should take to make their information safer and more accurate. First, consider the concept of “garbage in, garbage out”. Companies should take extensive measures to ensure that the information they enter into their AI platforms is as accurate as possible. We also need to collect data for specific purposes.

To that end, companies should also take all precautions to ensure AI training sessions are conducted with data privacy as a top priority. Writer, a popular generative AI platform for enterprises, conducted a survey of business leaders on their use of AI. A whopping 46% of respondents believe that an employee accidentally shared personal information on her ChatGPT. Therefore, the company should use data protection methods when conducting his AI research.

Finally, the business community must work with regulators to enact effective legislation. Ultimately, these laws can directly affect the freedom to use generative AI, so it is in their best interest to participate in the process. Looking at it from a more altruistic perspective, it can provide insights that can have a meaningful impact on creating more responsible generative AI for generations to come.

Altman’s actions required courage. He could have dismissed his concerns about ChatGPT and returned to San Francisco. Instead, he acknowledged the magnitude of the impact generative AI will have on our future, for better or worse.

Now is the time for Congress and the business community to work together. It’s up to us to harness the momentum Altman has created and ensure the potential of this powerful and useful technology.

Ameesh Divatia is CEO and co-founder of Baffle.