US Government Announces $140m Investment in New AI Research Institutes and Guidelines

Tech executives in the US met with Vice President Kamala Harris to discuss the development and regulation of AI, with Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic CEOs attending the meeting.

During the meeting, US President Joe Biden emphasized the "enormous potential and enormous danger" of AI, while Harris reminded tech companies to comply with existing laws and ensure safety and security of their products.

The meeting discussed the need for more transparency in AI technology and protection against malicious attacks. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said that the participants were on the same page on what needs to happen.

The Biden administration has announced a $140m investment in seven new AI research institutes, the establishment of an independent committee for public assessments of existing AI systems, and guidelines on the use of AI by the federal government.

The rapid development of AI has generated excitement in the tech world, but also concerns about social harm and loss of control. AI has been involved in numerous controversies, including the case of a man who reportedly took his own life following encouragement by an AI-powered chatbot.

 Last year, a Stanford University survey found that over one-third of natural language-processing experts believed AI could lead to a "nuclear-level catastrophe". In March, Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak were among 1,300 signatories calling for a pause on training AI systems.