Elon Musk pushed for the establishment of a federal AI department during a high-profile Capitol Hill gathering with industry CEOs, activists, and academics. The Tesla CEO, renowned for his reservations about unrestricted AI, spoke at the Capitol on Wednesday morning.
Musk reiterated his concerns about the risks of AI development during the conference, which also included OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. He highlighted the importance of the event by calling AI development a "civilizational risk" that may harm everyone.
Before slipping into his waiting Tesla, Elon Musk told a group of reporters, as quoted by NBC News, "The consequences of AI going wrong are severe so we have to be proactive rather than reactive." He noted that the "civilizational risk" is the true issue at hand. "It's like, hey, this is something that's potentially risky for all humans everywhere."
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Federal AI Regulator Sought
The tech mogul was upbeat about the event and noted that there was a "strong consensus" among attendees. He said that a government AI agency may function similarly to already-existing organizations like the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Aviation Administration, pushing for aggressive steps in AI research.
Musk's own AI company, xAI, which launched in July, has stressed the need for strong safeguards in AI research, according to CNBC.
Elon Musk was questioned during the conference about whether or not AI would harm people. He emphasized the vulnerability of human civilization while recognizing that there is a low but not zero probability that AI may pose a danger.
Senators Mike Rounds, Todd Young, and Martin Heinrich, as well as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, served as the hosts of the event, dubbed the AI Insight Forum. The purpose of the meeting was to examine legislative measures to control artificial intelligence.
US Senators Face Serious Challenge
According to AP News, some US senators blasted the AI Insight Forum's secrecy, while others saw value in it.
Elon Musk's mention of "civilizational risk" shocked Sen. Cynthia Lummis. Reforms to standards at the National Institute of Standards and Technology were also discussed during the event.
Since artificial intelligence is technological, constantly evolving, and has a large influence, regulating it is seen as a challenging problem. Legislators understand how critical it is to manage AI's rapid expansion while maintaining data protection and openness.
There have been several proposals for AI regulation, including legislation requiring disclaimers in AI-produced election advertising and setting up a government organization to monitor AI systems.
Although perspectives on the issues differ, many tech corporations have voiced support for AI regulation. While IBM favors laws controlling certain dangerous AI usage, Microsoft supports a licensing model.
US Senators agree that legislation to regulate AI development is important, yet it is still difficult to agree on the extent and kind of regulation.
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