OpenAI’s Chief Technology Officer
OpenAI’s Chief Technology Officer, Mira Murati, has suggested that artificial intelligence (AI) technology should be regulated. Murati acknowledged that OpenAI and other tech companies need more input from regulators and governments in order to manage the potential impact of AI. Greg Sterling, the co-founder of Near Media, also agrees that some regulation is necessary to create disincentives against unethical behaviour, although too much regulation too soon could harm innovation and limit the benefits of AI.
Mason Kortz
Mason Kortz, a clinical instructor at the Cyberlaw Clinic at Harvard University Law School, says that AI should be regulated, but policymakers need to consider how existing laws already suffice in regulating AI, and what new creative solutions are needed. For instance, there isn’t a general regulation about autonomous vehicle liability, but there are plenty of areas of law to fall back on if an autonomous vehicle causes a crash. Kortz admits that many existing rules come into play after the fact, but that they are still an important measure to have in place while regulations are developed.
Other Experts
Some experts are wary of heavy-handed regulation stifling the AI industry. Mark N. Vena, president and principal analyst at SmartTech Research, argues that regulation could end up limiting the potential benefits of AI. However, Daniel Castro, vice president of the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, suggests that policymakers could focus on specific use cases when implementing regulation, for example, regulating self-driving cars should look different than regulating AI used to generate music. They could also focus on behaviours, such as prohibiting discrimination. Castro believes policymakers should be careful not to hold AI to a different standard or to implement regulations that do not make sense for AI.
Conclusion
In summary, AI technology requires regulation, but policymakers must strike a balance to avoid stifling innovation while managing potential negative impacts of AI. Experts suggest that policymakers should consider existing laws and take a transparent approach to regulation, focusing on specific use cases and behaviours to avoid unfairly holding AI to different standards.
