President Joe Biden was in San Francisco on Tuesday to meet with artificial intelligence experts to discuss the potential benefits and risks of AI.
Many AI experts and critics were in attendance.
The audience included Jim Steyer, founder of Common Sense Media; Joy Buolamwini, founder of the Algorithmic Justice League; Tristan Harris, executive director and co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology; Fei-Fei Li, co-director of Stanford’s Human-Centered AI Institute; and California Governor Gavin Newsom, according to the LA Times.
President Biden said he wanted opinions from many different perspectives.
“I want to hear directly from the experts. And these are … some of the world’s leading experts on this issue and the intersection of technology and society, who … can provide a range of perspectives for us … on AI’s enormous promise and its risks,” he said, according to a press release.
Biden noted that he and the vice president had been meeting with advisors over the last several months to discuss the subject.
“And earlier this year, we met with my Council on Science and Technology Advisors and — and some of America’s top minds to discuss the possibilities and the risks associated with artificial intelligence,” stated Biden, according to the release. “In May, Kamala and I convened the CEOs of American companies foremost involved in AI development to underscore their responsibility in making sure their products are used safely before making them public.”
Biden said that technology could advance very quickly in the next 10 years and that artificial intelligence will help drive those advancements.
“As I’ve said before … we’ll see more technological change in the next 10 years than we’ve seen in the last 50 years and maybe even beyond that. And AI is already driving that change in every part of the American life, often in ways we don’t notice,” stated Biden, per the release.
Although AI has been around since the 1940s, the release of ChatGPT in November has catapulted things to a whole new level.
While AI has the potential to streamline processes, concerns have arisen that AI may begin eliminating jobs. According to a study by Goldman Sachs, AI could lead to a “significant disruption” in the job market — impacting some 300 million jobs around the world, reported Business Insider.
Moving forward, Biden said, it is important to protect the safety and security of the American people.
“But in seizing this moment, we need to manage the risks to our society, to our economy, and our national security. My administration is committed … to safeguarding America’s rights and safety, from protecting privacy, to addressing bias and disinformation, to making sure AI systems are safe before they are released,” said Biden.