The executives leading the AI race that has transfixed the tech industry, including the CEOs of OpenAI, Google and Microsoft, have been called to a meeting at the White House on Thursday for what a senior US official described as a “frank discussion” about their responsibilities to make sure their systems are safe.
The meeting, which will be attended by vice-president Kamala Harris and other senior officials, comes as the administration of Joe Biden scrambles to develop a more concerted response to recent rapid advances in the technology. It also comes days after AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton sounded one of the most notable warnings about the long-term dangers of developing machines that become more intelligent than humans.
“Many of [the big tech companies] have spoken to their responsibilities, and part of what we want to do is make sure we have a conversation about how they’re going to fulfil those pledges,” the senior administration official said. This person did not outline any further regulations or actions the Biden administration might consider.