THE creator of ChatGPT and CEO of OpenAI has called for the United States government to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) after highlighting the risks of the technology’s advancements.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, urged U.S. lawmakers to implement regulations on AI during a congressional hearing.
Altman emphasized the need for oversight, expressing concerns about AI’s potential interference in elections and the risks associated with its uncontrolled development.
During the session on Capitol Hill, Altman expressed his apprehension about the risks associated with AI, stating, ‘if this technology goes wrong, it can go quite wrong’.
“Citing election integrity as a ‘significant area of concern’, he underscored the importance of regulatory measures to safeguard against potential manipulation and ensure the responsible development and deployment of AI systems,” said Samuel Altman, CEO of OpenAI.
“My worst fears are that we cause significant- we the field the technology the industry cause significant harm to the world. I think that could happen a lot of different ways. It’s why we started the company, it’s a big part of why I’m here today and why we’ve been here in the past and we’ve been able to spend some time with you. I think if this technology goes wrong it can go quite wrong and we want to be vocal about that, we want to work with the government to prevent that from happening but, we try to be very clear-eyed about what the downside case is and the work that we have to do to mitigate that,” Samuel Altman added.
AI technologies, once the stuff of science fiction, are now a reality, said Altman, referring to the increasing capabilities of AI systems.
Experts and critics fear that unchecked AI could exacerbate societal problems like bias, and misinformation, and even pose existential threats to humanity.
As several companies rush to bring versatile AI to market, Altman’s call for regulation gained support from senators, who acknowledged the global explosion of AI advancements.
Concerns were raised about the spread of misinformation in upcoming elections, with examples cited of doctored images going viral.
It can be recalled that earlier this month, Geoffrey Hinton, who earned the moniker of ‘The godfather of AI’, announced his resignation from Google to freely speak about the risks of AI, warn the public of the dangers ahead, and admit that a part of him now regrets his life’s work.
Meanwhile, Altman stressed that OpenAI, founded on the belief that AI can address significant challenges, also recognizes the serious risks it poses.
He urged Congress to impose new rules on major companies to mitigate these risks and ensure responsible AI practices.
