The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence technologies has prompted former U.S. President Barack Obama and former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris to call for governments to strengthen their oversight capacity. Obama said more concrete steps were needed, particularly regarding the potential effects on safety, employment and children.
In a statement posted to his account on the social media platform operated by the U.S.-based company X, Obama said the development of artificial intelligence could not be stopped entirely. “We cannot put artificial intelligence in a box, but we can collectively shape its development and the way it is used,” he said.
The former U.S. president called on governments to prepare concrete regulations and laws on artificial intelligence. Obama stressed that both the direction of the technology’s development and the way it is used could be shaped collectively.
Harris calls for creation of federal agency
Kamala Harris said artificial intelligence models were advancing “at an alarming speed.” In Harris’s view, the pace of technological development should be slowed and necessary measures taken to ensure that it serves the public interest.
Harris also called on the U.S. Congress to enact the necessary legislation to establish a federal agency to oversee artificial intelligence.
Amodei proposes safety standards
Dario Amodei, CEO of U.S. artificial intelligence company Anthropic, published an article after company researcher Jacob Coxon resigned, citing a lack of sufficient responsibility in the field of artificial intelligence.
Amodei warned that rapid technological progress could strain the ability to understand and control artificial intelligence systems. He therefore proposed slowing development in a way that would strengthen oversight capabilities.
Amodei also said artificial intelligence companies should establish common safety standards. Elon Musk supported the proposal, while OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said he agreed with it and would take the same step on independent evaluation.
