Billionaire Elon Musk says AI 'referee' is needed

Lawmakers are looking to mitigate the dangers of the emerging technology, which has exploded in investment and popularity since OpenAI's ChatGPT emerged. Billionaire Elon Musk has said regulators are needed to ensure the safe use of AI.

Billionaire Elon Musk says he needs to have it in his ears after meeting with US lawmakers pic 1 — Billionaire Elon Musk. Photo: Yahoo News

“It’s important for us to have referees,” Musk told reporters, comparing AI to sports. The billionaire, who also owns social network X, added that regulators would “make sure that companies are taking actions that are safe and in the public interest.”

Musk said the meeting was a “service to humanity” and said it “may go down in history as being so important to the future of civilization.” Musk confirmed he had called AI a “double-edged sword” during the forum.

And CEO Meta Zuckerberg said the US Congress "should engage with AI to support innovation and protection. This is an emerging technology, there are important trade-offs to balance here, and the government is ultimately responsible for that."

“It would be better if the standards were set by American companies that could work with the government to shape these models on important issues,” he added.

More than 60 senators participated. Lawmakers said there was a general consensus on the need for US government regulation of AI.

“We are starting to really address one of the most important issues facing the next generation, and we got a great start on that today,” Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who organized the forum, told reporters after the meeting. “We have a long way to go.”

Republican Senator Todd Young, who co-chaired the forum, said he believes the US Senate “needs to start their legislative process” on this disruptive, but potentially risky, technology.

But Republican Senator Mike Rounds warned that it will take time for Congress to act. “Are we ready to go out and write the law? Absolutely not,” Rounds said.

Lawmakers want protections against potentially dangerous deepfakes like bogus videos, election interference and attacks on critical infrastructure.

In March, Musk and a group of AI experts and CEOs called for a six-month pause in the development of systems more powerful than OpenAI’s GPT-4, citing potential risks to society. Regulators around the world are also working to develop rules governing the use of synthetic AI.

Adobe, IBM, Nvidia and five other companies said Tuesday they have signed voluntary AI pledges requested by President Joe Biden. The pledges, announced in July, aim to ensure the power of AI is not used for destructive purposes. Google, OpenAI and Microsoft have previously signed on.

Mai Van (according to Reuters)

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