Top EU Legislators Advocate for ‘Safe’ AI Amid Google CEO’s Warning on Rapid Development

A Unified Call for Responsible AI Development: EU Politicians and Tech Executives Express Concerns

A group of twelve European Union (EU) politicians have signed an open letter, led by EU Parliament member Dragoș Tudorache, calling for the safe and responsible development of artificial intelligence (AI). The letter, shared on Twitter on April 16, urges European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and United States President Joe Biden to convene a summit on AI and establish a set of governing principles for the development, control, and deployment of AI technologies.

The letter highlights the rapid and unpredictable progress of AI, stating, “Recent advances in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) have demonstrated that the speed of technological progress is faster and more unpredictable than policymakers around the world have anticipated.” It further emphasizes the need for collaboration and responsibility among companies and countries worldwide in the development of powerful AI.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai also expressed caution about the rapid development of AI in a recent interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes. He acknowledged the need for society to have time to adapt to the implications of AI and called for a reasonable approach in releasing powerful AI technologies.

The concerns raised in the letter from EU politicians align with those of over 2,600 tech leaders and researchers who called for a temporary pause on further AI development, citing “profound risks to society and humanity.” Signatories of the letter included Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, and other AI CEOs, CTOs, and researchers, as published by the United States think tank Future of Life Institute (FOLI) on March 22.

While the EU politicians share the core message of the FOLI letter, they have expressed disagreement with some of its more alarmist statements. Musk has also continued to highlight the potential risks of AI if developed with ill intentions in a recent interview with Fox News.

EU’s Efforts in Regulating AI

The European Union has already taken steps towards regulating AI with its proposed Artificial Intelligence Act, which aims to establish a framework for the ethical and legal use of AI technologies. Additionally, the European Data Protection Board has created a task force to examine the use of generative AI chatbots, such as ChatGPT.

Conclusion

The call for responsible AI development is gaining traction among EU politicians and tech executives, urging for collaboration, universal rules, and careful consideration in the advancement of AI technologies. As the field of AI continues to progress rapidly, policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers are emphasizing the need to prioritize societal impacts and ethical considerations in the development of powerful AI technologies.