China’s help sought on development of AI safety guidelines

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has called on China to help develop AI safety regulations, despite the contentious relationship between Beijing and Washington. The tech leader acknowledges the country has numerous AI experts who can facilitate this endeavor. As a result, Altman shows his commitment to ensuring artificial intelligence benefits humanity.

The AI wave has expanded worldwide, transcending its ChatGPT roots. Nowadays, artificial intelligence provides more than chatbots only. Numerous countries see its potential benefits and risks, encouraging global participation to help and protect humanity.

Understanding such issues lets us see how this technology will transform our lives further. This article will discuss how OpenAI CEO asked China for help crafting global AI guidelines. Then, I will cover his company’s suggestions for creating such rules.

How did Sam Altman speak with China?

China should take part in creating AI guardrails to ensure the safety of new systems, OpenAI's Sam Altman says https://t.co/kafOf1w3ax

— Bloomberg (@business) June 10, 2023

OpenAI’s leader pioneered a new technological age by releasing ChatGPT, a program that generates human-like text. The program is only several months old, yet it sparked a generative AI revolution.

However, its risks are becoming more apparent as this technology develops. People worldwide have been using AI bots, so Altman knew mitigating its risks would require a global effort.

Consequently, Sam Altman has been meeting with numerous world leaders to create AI regulations. His recent conversation was with China when he spoke at a Beijing conference on June 10. Here’s what he said:

“With the emergence of increasingly powerful AI systems, the stakes for global cooperation have never been higher. China has some of the best AI talents in the world, and fundamentally, given the difficulties in solving alignment for advanced AI systems, this requires the best minds from around the world.”

The Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence, supported by the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology and the Beijing local government, is the event’s host. Also, numerous speakers came from top universities and companies, including speech-recognition firm iFlytek, telecom firm Huawei Technologies, and search company Baidu.

Surprisingly, the Chinese welcomed his presence with widespread enthusiasm, even though ChatGPT is inaccessible in China due to its strict cyber restrictions.

According to a report from The Brookings Institution, China produces more high-quality AI research than the United States. However, the US has more “paradigm-shifting breakthroughs.”

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The Chinese government also prioritizes developing AI in recent policy statements. Moreover, it has been pushing new tech rules to ensure adherence to the nation’s heavily censored internet.

The OpenAI CEO had the same message a day before the Beijing event. He called for international generative AI rules during a high-profile trip to South Korea.

What does OpenAI suggest for AI regulations?

Altman has been a staunch advocate for AI guidelines despite being ChatGPT’s creator. He and two other executives published a blog titled “Governance of superintelligence” on May 22, 2023, recommending the following tenets for international AI regulations:

• AI firms and governments must collaborate to ensure artificial intelligence is safe for humans. First, governments must launch projects involving several AI companies. Both parties follow new rules in producing new AI systems. Second, the world could agree on an annual AI research and development limit.
• Countries must assign an AI regulatory body subject to an international authority. Moreover, OpenAI suggested ways to start this program. First, companies may voluntarily implement necessary rules. On the other hand, each nation may have different rules instead.
• OpenAI says artificial intelligence must be safe for humanity. Nowadays, Sam Altman’s firm and other companies have been developing ways to ensure AI is ethical. For example, AI company Anthropic is creating a ChatGPT alternative named Claude that follows an AI constitution.

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Conclusion

Altman called on China to help create global AI rules. He says we need the world’s best and brightest to reduce AI risks to humanity.

Nevertheless, it will be daunting as artificial intelligence continues to improve. Nowadays, numerous countries and organizations are creating new AI systems.

It will be challenging to keep up as AI advances faster daily. Fortunately, you can start by following great sources of the latest digital tips and trends like Inquirer Tech.