Breaking: Biden May Be Forced To Regulate ‘Woke’ A.I.

Regulating AI to prevent misinformation and bias

The Biden administration is pursuing regulations to ensure that artificial intelligence (AI) systems produce trustworthy outputs. The government is considering implementing audits for AI systems to assess their accuracy, privacy, and bias, as well as whether they promote “misinformation” and “disinformation.” Alan Davidson, assistant secretary of communications and information at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), said that “accountability mechanisms for AI can help assure that an AI system is trustworthy.”

He added that audits would help regulators ensure that AI systems perform as advertised and respect privacy, and that they do not result in “discriminatory outcomes” or reflect “unacceptable levels of bias.” Audits could also be used to determine whether AI systems promote “misinformation” and “disinformation.”

The challenges of regulating AI

Regulating AI to prevent disinformation and bias presents technical and political challenges to federal regulators. NTIA has just begun seeking public comment on how it should approach AI regulation. Furthermore, the issue of misinformation and disinformation has been highly controversial under the Biden administration, as Republicans and Democrats have struggled to agree on a definition. Last year, the Department of Homeland Security set up a “Disinformation Governance Board,” but it was quickly dismantled after receiving criticism from Republicans who worried that it would attack political opinions that run counter to the Biden administration.

Elon Musk warns against ‘Woke AI’

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has warned about the dangers of creating AI systems that block outputs that might offend people, calling them “woke” and “deadly.” Musk worries that AI used for systems like ChatGPT is being designed to avoid output that might offend anyone. Musk’s warnings follow a months-long battle against “woke” AI. Musk has also gone on record saying:

“I’m increasingly inclined to think that there should be some regulatory oversight, maybe at the national and international level, just to make sure that we don’t do something very foolish. I mean with artificial intelligence we’re summoning the demon.”

Musk has also been vocal on Twitter about his fears of AI becoming a larger issue, saying:

More than 1,000 prominent figures in the technology industry, including Elon Musk, have signed a letter requesting a pause in the training of the most powerful AI systems for at least six months due to the significant risks they pose to society and humanity. The letter, published by the Future of Life Institute, suggests that independent experts should utilize the pause to create and implement a set of shared protocols for safe AI tools. If a pause is not introduced, governments should impose a moratorium, according to the letter. Biased responses, misinformation, and privacy infringement are among the concerns raised about AI.

However, Bill Gates has criticized the call for a pause, stating that the growth of AI systems like ChatGPT should not be halted. Instead, industry leaders should focus on how to use the advancements to their best advantage. Gates believes that AI has the potential to improve humanity and speed up the development of new vaccines, a move that many are weary of given his COVID-19 vaccine track record.

The Biden administration’s approach to regulating AI

The Biden administration has prioritized the regulation of AI, aiming to ensure the trustworthiness, accuracy, and lack of misinformation and bias in AI systems. The administration has released preliminary guidelines for AI development, including an AI Bill of Rights and a voluntary risk management framework by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. There are considerations to implement audits to evaluate AI systems for accuracy, privacy, bias, and misinformation or disinformation promotion. Other agencies, like the Federal Trade Commission, are also exploring how to regulate AI to safeguard consumers. Ultimately, the Biden administration is dedicated to advancing reliable AI and is allocating significant resources to achieve this goal.

Alexander J. Williams III