All eyes are on the first meeting of the White House’s AI task force this week as groups and members of Congress try to influence the newly formed body.
Americans for Responsible Innovation, former Oklahoma Democratic Rep. Brad Carson’s nonprofit focused on federal AI safety regulation, is pushing the task force to “explore the need for Congress to develop new laws that provide for enforceable safety standards and public transparency” into AI development. Voluntary commitments will not be enough, the group argues, and the task force should make specific recommendations to Congress.
Sens. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., also wrote to the task force asking for more resources for the National Institute of Standards and Technology and its in-house testing lab. They also want the task force to ensure that the Energy Department’s National Labs can test AI independently and to mobilize the technology to guard against cybersecurity incidents.
Meanwhile, the FBI arrested a Saudi national Tuesday for allegedly secretly recording conversations at the offices of his employer, OpenAI.
It’s still not clear what exactly will be discussed at the task force’s first meeting, as the group scrambles to organize following its formation earlier this month.
Industry watchers are awaiting any official guidelines for enforcement of its new directive, which may come from the Office of Director of National Intelligence (headed by task force chair Jay Clayton) and the Federal Trade Commission.
— Ashley Gold