OpenAI CEO Sam Altman calls for AI to be regulated during Senate hearing
Sam Altman appeared before lawmakers to discuss artificial intelligence.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman urged U.S. lawmakers to regulate artificial intelligence companies during a Senate hearing, The Washington Post reported May 16.
Altman calls for regulation
Altman, whose company created ChatGPT, said that the U.S. government should regulate large AI models by establishing a licensing body, a set of safety standards, and requirements for independent audits.
Altman warned that “if [AI] goes wrong, it can go quite wrong.” He expressed support for an international standards body that regulates AI in the same manner that global governments have regulated nuclear weapons.
He also expressed specific concerns about the potential use of AI in influencing elections, calling this matter “one of [his] areas of greatest concern.”
Officials, meanwhile, expressed concerns about the concentration of power among AI development companies, neglect of non-English languages in AI training, and AI’s implications for copyright protection and data privacy.
Despite his concerns, Altman and IBM executive Christina Montgomery rejected the suggestion that there should be a halt or moratorium on AI development. By contrast, several tech leaders, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, signed a letter in March urging for a six-month pause in AI development.