Tech giants agree to regulate AI under White House-brokered deal

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
21 Jul 2023 21:13

Tech giants agreed to develop "robust technical mechanisms," such as watermarking systems so that users can identify AI- and not human-generated content.

President Biden is pictured with leaders on artificial intelligence during a visit to San Francisco on June 20. (AFP)

The representatives of seven major tech companies, namely Amazon, Anthropic, Google, Inflection, Meta, Microsoft, and OpenAI, met with President Joe Biden at the White House on Friday, where they pledged to commit to a series of guardrails aimed at regulating the development of artificial intelligence.

This comes amid an increased sense of concern over the pace at which AI technologies have been developing as of late.

The seven AI giants committed to a series of safeguards that would "underscore three principles that must be fundamental to the future of AI: safety, security, and trust," a White House statement reads.

Tech giants agreed to develop "robust technical mechanisms," such as watermarking systems so that users can identify AI- and not human-generated content.

Amid growing concerns for risk pertaining to biosecurity, cybersecurity, and "broader societal effects," they also agreed to independent "internal and external security testing of their AI systems before their release."

According to White House officials, Biden is reportedly working on an executive order pertaining solely to AI safety.

"We need to make sure we're pulling every lever of the federal government to regulate and take action -- and work with... (Congress) on legislation," White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients told Axios.

"We will need legislation to build the capacity to have the experts that we need in the federal government, and then to have the regulatory authority to hold the private sector accountable -- and to hardwire these actions so that they're enduring," Zients said.

The US is also planning to collaborate with foreign allies on building "a strong international framework to govern the development and use of AI."