(ReclaimingAmerica.net) – President Joe Biden has said it is yet to be seen if artificial intelligence could pose a threat to humans but urged tech companies to seek to make sure that their products are safe before hitting the market.
Biden spoke on the matter at the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology after last week, 1,000 tech industry leaders and experts such as Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak called for halting the advancement of AI technologies to allow for the development of safety standards.
During the council’s meeting at the White House on Tuesday, Biden also argued that artificial intelligence tools could help tackle climate change.
“Tech companies have a responsibility to make sure their products are safe before making them public,” the president declared at the start of the White House meeting, as cited by Newsmax.
“It remains to be seen. Could be,” Biden responded when asked whether AI could be dangerous to humans.
The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology meeting was called on to discuss the risk and opportunities for national security and individual users created by quick AI development.
The advisory panel features academics but also officials of tech giants such as Google and Microsoft.
“AI can help deal with some very difficult challenges like disease and climate change, but it also has to address the potential risks to our society, to our economy, to our national security,” Biden said, as cited by AP.
The report notes that the release of the ChatGPT AI chatbot in November has caused a race among technology corporations to develop similar tools.
According to the White House, President Joe Biden wanted to use the advisory council’s meeting on AI to “discuss the importance of protecting rights and safety to ensure responsible innovation and appropriate safeguards.”
He also sought to issue a new call upon Congress to pass legislation protecting children from AI technology risks while limiting data collection by technology companies.
Last week, Italy’s authorities temporarily blocked ChatGPT on data privacy grounds.
Meanwhile, the parliament of the European Union, which includes Italy and 26 other Western nations, has been discussing new rules to set limits on “high-risk AI products.”
“The U.S. has had more a laissez-faire approach to the commercial development of AI,” commented Russell Wald from the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence.
“[Biden] is setting the stage for a national dialogue on the topic by elevating attention to AI, which is desperately needed,” Wald added.
Last year, the Biden administration unveiled a “Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights,” which is supposed to prevent harm caused by AI systems.
President Joe Biden on Tuesday said it remains to be seen whether artificial intelligence is dangerous, but he underscored that technology companies have a responsibility to ensure their products are safe before making them public. https://t.co/4tJtG1rBZX
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) April 4, 2023
