OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, IBM’s VP of trust and privacy Christina Montgomery, and NYU emeritus professor Gary Marcus are scheduled to testify before Congress on May 16 on AI regulation and oversight. While details on the hearing’s agenda remain scarce, the title “Oversight of A.I.: Rules for Artificial Intelligence” suggests that the discussion will center on safety and privacy. Marcus, who recently voiced his support for a community-driven “pause” on AI development for six months, is the only outlier among the scheduled attendees.
Marcus’s idea of an AI pause was defined in an open letter published on the Future of Life Institute website on March 22, which has garnered over 27,500 signatures. The letter’s goal is to “call on all AI labs to immediately pause for at least 6 months the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4.”
OpenAI CEO and Christina Montgomery are among those who oppose the pause. Montgomery believes that a blanket pause on AI training, together with existing trends that seem to de-prioritize investment in industry AI ethics efforts, will only lead to additional harm and setbacks. IBM believes that AI should be regulated based on risk.
IBM and OpenAI take opposing stances on AI ethics
OpenAI is responsible for ChatGPT, arguably the most popular public-facing AI technology in existence. Altman supports the safe and ethical development of AI systems but believes in “engaging everyone in the discussion” and “putting these systems out into the world.” Montgomery, a member of the U.S. National A.I. Advisory Committee, made a case for a more precise approach to AI regulation, emphasizing the need to prioritize ethics.
The upcoming Senate hearing is likely to function as a forum for members of Congress to ask questions. Depending on which experts one believes, the discussion could have disruptive ramifications. If Congress determines that AI regulation deserves a heavy hand, Montgomery fears such efforts could have a chilling effect on innovation without necessarily addressing safety concerns.
This harm could trickle into operating sectors where GPT technology underpins a plethora of bots and services. Experts such as Marcus and Elon Musk worry that failure to enact what they deem as common-sense policy related to AI oversight could result in an existential crisis for humankind.
The upcoming Senate hearing will likely address the need for AI regulation and oversight. While Altman and Montgomery oppose a blanket pause on AI development, Marcus supports it. The discussion could have disruptive ramifications depending on whether Congress determines that AI regulation deserves a heavy hand or not. While Montgomery fears a chilling effect on innovation, Marcus and Musk worry that failure to enact common-sense policy could result in an existential crisis for humankind.
