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President Biden Invites Top AI Executives At The White House To Discuss AI Risks And Safeguards

 The White House, on Thursday 4th May (today), will meet with top executives in the technology industry, more so those involved with AI. The meeting will include top executives from Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic.

The main agenda for the meeting according to reports is to discuss the promise of artificial intelligence as well as the risks and how to mitigate them.

The meeting will be hosted at the White House by vice president Kamala Harris and other US administration officials. Other attendees according to Reuters include; Biden’s Chief of Staff Jeff Zients, Deputy Chief of Staff Bruce Reed, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Director of the National Economic Council Lael Brainard, and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo among others.

As per a copy of the invitation as seen by AFP, the attendees will discuss how consumers will benefit from AI while also being protected from the harms the technology presents.

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POTUS, Joe Biden, has in recent months urged Congress to pass laws that put stricter limits on the tech industry. However, efforts by Congress have been slowed down by political divisions.

The USA and  AI Regulations

The White House meeting with AI executives comes just as it appears the US is lagging behind their European counterparts and others such as Canada and China as far as getting control of big tech is concerned.

The European Union has an Artificial Intelligence Act (AIA) in place as of April 21st, 2021. The legislation regulates all automated technology, as opposed to just certain areas of concern.

In June 2022, the Canadian parliament drafted a regulatory framework for Artificial Intelligence using a modified risk-based approach. Under this framework, there is a section dealing specifically with AI known as the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA). Under AIDA, developers must create a mitigation plan to reduce risks and increase transparency when using AI in high-risk systems.

The United States, on the other hand, is yet to pass federal legislation dedicated to governing AI models and applications. Instead, the Biden administration in conjunction with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) prepared and published a set of broad AI guidance regulations for the safe use and application of AI.

15 states and local governments either passed or proposed AI-related legislation in 2022. While some bills set guidelines for the use of AI in the public sector, others concentrated on regulating AI tools in the private sector.

One of the earliest AI laws in the United States was introduced in New York City. It took effect in January 2023 and attempts to stop AI bias in the hiring process.

However, ahead of the White House meeting, a US regulator has put AI in the crosshairs. Lina Khan, Chairperson of the Federal Trade Commission wrote a guest essay in the New York Times urging vigilance on the issue.

She wrote, “While the technology is moving swiftly, we already can see several risks. Enforcers and regulators must be vigilant.”

Elon Musk, who is preparing to launch his own AI model X.AI soon, has been a vocal advocate of government intervention in regulating AI. Speaking last month, Mr. Musk said, “I think we should be cautious with AI, and I think there should be some government oversight because it is a danger to the public.”

While the meeting has been received with optimism, some are cautious with expectations. One of them is David Harris, a lecturer at Haas Business School at the University of California, Berkeley.

He said, “Don’t get your hopes up that this will lead to anything, particularly meaningful, but it’s a good start. The United States Congress can barely keep the government’s bank accounts full; I think it would be a lot for us to expect it to put forth any meaningful legislation about AI.”