Sam Altman, whose company created ChatGPT, will testify before Congress on AI regulation for the first time
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, the company that created the ChatGPT chatbot, will testify in Congress for the first time next Tuesday before a US Senate committee to discuss maintaining control over artificial intelligence technologies. This discussion covers upcoming legislation currently being considered by senators on Capitol Hill, reports The Washington Post.
The upcoming hearing is in response to concerns from lawmakers and federal officials about the growing popularity of generative AI tools like ChatGPT. After all, they use huge arrays of data to create a variety of results, from text to images and sounds, including dialog responses to user requests.
The rapid development and adoption of products like ChatGPT has led to escalating competition in the technology industry known as the “AI arms race.” The rapid spread of this technology has raised concerns among AI ethicists and government officials. The fear is that the technology could be misused to spread false information, displace jobs, or otherwise cause significant harm to users.
In response to these concerns, the Biden administration recently announced new measures to manage the impact of AI technology on society. These measures include a proposal by the Department of Commerce to collect opinions on possible regulation.
Congressional lawmakers are showing a growing interest in these issues. They have stepped up their engagement and consultation with critics of AI technology and industry leaders to better understand its implications.
The hearing will be conducted by Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn). He said the hearings will kick off the group’s efforts to monitor and shed light on the complex algorithms and powerful technologies used by AI.
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer called a meeting with Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and Twitter, on Capitol Hill last month. Musk’s companies rely heavily on artificial intelligence, and he has repeatedly stated the potential threats that AI poses to society. Schumer said he is developing a legislative framework designed to address the potential dangers of AI without stifling innovation in the technology sector.
Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), the top Republican on Blumenthal’s committee, said: “Artificial intelligence will be transformative in ways we can’t even imagine, with implications for Americans’ elections, jobs, and security. This hearing marks a critical first step toward understanding what Congress should do.”
Christina Montgomery, vice president and hief privacy and trust officer at tech giant IBM, and Gary Marcus, professor emeritus at New York University, are also scheduled to appear before the Senate committee. Altman will be physically present at the congressional hearing and will testify along with others.