OpenAI CEO calls for regulatory intervention to mitigate risks of models

WASHINGTON

The head of an artificial intelligence company said Tuesday that the role of government regulations is critical in managing the risks associated with the growing capabilities of models in artificial intelligence.

"We think that regulatory intervention by governments will be critical to mitigate the risks of increasingly powerful models," OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said at a hearing by the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and The Law.

"For example, the US government might consider a combination of licensing and testing requirements for developing and releasing AI models above a threshold of capabilities," he said.

Altman acknowledged that while it is an exciting time to work on artificial intelligence, he understands that people are worried about the potential effects of the technology on their lives, and OpenAI shares those concerns.

He noted that OpenAI can partner with governments to ensure that the most powerful AI models adhere to a set of safety requirements, facilitate processes to develop and update safety measures, and examine opportunities for global coordination.

"I believe that we will be able to mitigate the risks in front of us and really capitalize on technology's potential to grow the US economy and the world's," Altman added.

His remarks came amid the widespread popularity of ChatGPT, a chatbot tool developed by OpenAI, which has reignited competition in the field of artificial intelligence and raised concerns about the potential risks of this technology.

Altman said his company believes artificial intelligence has the potential to "improve nearly every aspect of our lives."

"We are working to build tools that one day can help us make new discoveries that address some of humanity's biggest challenges, like climate change, and curing cancer. Our current systems aren't yet capable of doing these things," he said.