© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: The ChatGPT logo is seen in this illustration taken February 3, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
By David Shepardson and Diane Bartz
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Biden administration said on Tuesday it is seeking public comment on possible accountability measures for artificial intelligence (AI) systems as questions arise about their impact on national security and education.
ChatGPT, an AI program that recently gained public attention for its ability to quickly type responses to a wide range of queries, has particularly attracted the attention of US lawmakers as it has become the most popular consumer app. Fast growing in history with over 100 million monthly active users.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration, a Commerce Department agency that advises the White House on telecommunications and information policy, wants input as there is “growing regulatory interest” in an AI “accountability mechanism.”
The agency wants to know if there are measures that could be put in place to ensure “that AI systems are legal, effective, ethical, secure, and otherwise reliable.”
“Responsible AI systems could bring enormous benefits, but only if we address their potential consequences and harm. For these systems to reach their full potential, businesses and consumers must be able to trust them,” said NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson.
President Joe Biden said last week that it remained to be seen whether AI was dangerous. “Tech companies have a responsibility, in my opinion, to make sure their products are secure before they go public,” he said.
Wowing some users with quick answers to questions and causing others distress with inaccuracies, ChatGPT is made by California-based OpenAI and backed by microsoft corporation (NASDAQ:).
The NTIA plans to draft a report looking at “efforts to ensure AI systems work as claimed, and without causing harm” and said the effort will inform the Biden Administration’s ongoing work to “ensure a focus of the cohesive and comprehensive federal government for AI-related matters. risks and opportunities.
A tech ethics group, the Center for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Policy, petitioned the US Federal Trade Commission to block OpenAI from issuing new commercial releases of GPT-4 saying it was “biased, misleading and a risk to privacy and public safety”.