On May 16, a hearing on AI oversight featuring notable figures like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, IBM’s VP of Trust and Privacy Christina Montgomery, and NYU emeritus professor Gary Marcus will take place in Congress to discuss the potential regulations of artificial intelligence in the United States. With the hearing’s agenda yet to be revealed, it is expected that the conversation will revolve around safety and privacy concerns.
Sam Altman’s appearance will mark his first on-the-record testimony before Congress, following his recent participation in a roundtable discussion with Vice President Kamala Harris and other prominent industry leaders. IBM executive Christina Montgomery, a member of the U.S. National AI Advisory Committee, and New York Times best-selling author Gary Marcus will also testify at the hearing.
The disagreement over the regulation of AI lies primarily in the controversial “pause” on AI development. Marcus has been a strong advocate for a community-driven halt to AI development for six months, citing concerns about the increasing power of AI systems.
However, both Altman and Montgomery oppose the proposed freeze. Montgomery argues for a more focused approach to AI regulation in her blog post “Don’t pause AI development, prioritize ethics instead.” She argues that a blanket pause coupled with de-prioritizing investment in AI ethics efforts will only result in additional harm and setbacks. IBM supports regulation based on risk, although it’s worth mentioning that the company doesn’t currently have any public-facing generative AI models.
OpenAI, on the other hand, is behind ChatGPT, one of the most popular AI technologies available. CEO Sam Altman has expressed his support for ethical AI development, emphasizing the importance of engaging everyone in the conversation and putting these AI systems into the world.
Gary Marcus remains the only outlier, strongly supporting the AI development halt. Despite not playing a role in drafting the pause letter, he wrote an article questioning the need to hit the pause button on AI nearly a month before the open letter’s publication.
While the upcoming Senate hearing may only serve as an opportunity for members of Congress to ask questions, the discussions could still lead to significant implications. If Congress decides to clamp down on AI regulation, experts like Montgomery fear it could stifle innovation while inadequately addressing safety concerns.
Such negative effects could spill over into industries relying on GPT technology, such as fintech where cryptocurrency exchanges use chatbot technology for customer service, trade executions, and market analysis. Meanwhile, experts like Marcus and Elon Musk argue that failing to adopt appropriate AI oversight policies may result in existential threats to humanity.
Source: Cointelegraph
