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Sam Altman goes before US Congress to propose licenses for building AI

reuters.com

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Re: Sam Altman goes before US Congress to propose licenses for building AI

#691

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Feel free to call their office but they won't get the message let alone escalate it. Source: manned phones fielding constituent calls earlier in my career.

> manned phones fielding constituent calls earlier in my career Local or legislative? I've never met a Senator's leg team that doesn't compile notes on active issues from constituents upstream. (Granted, it's a handful of teams.)

Legislative.

In the office I worked at we'd compile notes but unless we were seeing a coordinated through the roof amount of calls nothing would come of it, and realistically this most likely falls under that category.

That said, the Congressperson I worked with had DNC executive ambitions (and looks like they will succeed with those ambitions).

Re: Sam Altman goes before US Congress to propose licenses for building AI

#692
post #641
post #158

It seems pretty clear at this point, that OpenAI etc will lobby towards making it more difficult for new companies/entities to join the AI space, all in the name of 'safety'. They're trying to make the case that everyone should use AI through their APIs so that they can keep things in check. Conveniently this also helps them build a monopoly. It is pretty aggravating that they're bastardizing and abusing terms like '…

My biggest concern with AI is that it could be controlled by a group of oligarchs who care about nothing more than enriching themselves. A "Linux" version of AI that anyone can use, experiment with, and build off of freely would be incredible. A heavily restricted, policed and surveilled system controlled by ruthlessly greedy companies like OpenAI and Microsoft sounds dystopian.

> A "Linux" version of AI that anyone can use, experiment with, and build off of freely would be incredible.

That should be the goal.

Re: Sam Altman goes before US Congress to propose licenses for building AI

#693
There's no need to go the license way, yet. They can do some simple safety regulations – put a restriction on using AI with kinetic devices, life-critical situations, critical financial situations, and any situation where human is completely out of the loop. Also, put clear liability for harm caused in any situations where AI was involved on the AI supplier. Also, they can put disclosure rules on any company that is spending more than $10M on AI.

Re: Sam Altman goes before US Congress to propose licenses for building AI

#694

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The worries about AI taking over things are founded and important, even if many sci-go depictions of it are inaccurate. I’m not sure if this would be the best solution but please don’t dismiss the issue entirely

Seriously, I'm very concerned by the view being taken here. AI has the capacity to do a ton of harm very quickly. A couple of examples: - Scamming via impersonation - Misinformation - Usage of AI in a way that could have serious legal ramifications for incorrect responses - Severe economic displacement Congress can and should examine these issues. Just because OP works at an AI doesnt' mean that company can't exist i…

You're never going to be able to regulate what a person's computer can run. We've been through this song and dance with cryptography. Trying to keep it out of the hands of bad actors will be a waste of time, effort, and money.

These resources should be spent lessening the impact rather than trying to completely control it.

Re: Sam Altman goes before US Congress to propose licenses for building AI

#695

We need to MAKE SURE that AI as a technology ISN'T controlled by a small number of powerful corporations with connections to governments. To expound, this just seems like a power grab to me, to "lock in" the lead and keep AI controlled by a small number of corporations that can afford to license and operate the technologies. Obviously, this will create a critical nexus of control for a small number of well connected…

> To expound, this just seems like a power grab to me, to "lock in" the lead and keep AI controlled by a small number of corporations that can afford to license and operate the technologies.

If you actually watch the entire session, Altman does address that and recommend to Congress that regulations 1) not be applied to small startups, individual researchers, or open source, and 2) that they not be done in such a way as to lock in a few big vendors. Some of the Senators on the panel also expressed concern about #2.

Re: Sam Altman goes before US Congress to propose licenses for building AI

#696

We need to MAKE SURE that AI as a technology ISN'T controlled by a small number of powerful corporations with connections to governments. To expound, this just seems like a power grab to me, to "lock in" the lead and keep AI controlled by a small number of corporations that can afford to license and operate the technologies. Obviously, this will create a critical nexus of control for a small number of well connected…

> But goodness gracious we need to be going in the EXACT OPPOSITE direction — open source "core inspectable" AIs that millions of people can examine and tear apart, including and ESPECIALLY the training data and processes that create them Except ... when you look at the problem from a military/national security viewpoint. Do we really want to give this tech away just like that?

Is military capable AI in the hands of few militaries safer than in the hands of many? Or is it more likely to be used to bully other countries who don't have it? If it is used to oppress, would we want the oppressed have access to it? Or do we fear that it gives too much advantage to small cells of extremist to carry out their goals? I can think of pros and cons to both sides.

Re: Sam Altman goes before US Congress to propose licenses for building AI

#697

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Altman and his ilk IANA senator, but if I were you lost me there. The personal insults make it seem petty and completely overshadow the otherwise professional-sounding message.

Ilk is shorthand for similarity, nothing more. The 'personal insult' is a misunderstanding on your part.

"Ilk" definitely has a negative or dismissive connotation, at least in the US. You would never use it to express positive thoughts; you would use "stature" or similar.

The denotation may not be negative, but if you use ilk in what you see as a neutral way, people will get a different message than you're trying to send.

Re: Sam Altman goes before US Congress to propose licenses for building AI

#698

We need to MAKE SURE that AI as a technology ISN'T controlled by a small number of powerful corporations with connections to governments. To expound, this just seems like a power grab to me, to "lock in" the lead and keep AI controlled by a small number of corporations that can afford to license and operate the technologies. Obviously, this will create a critical nexus of control for a small number of well connected…

> But goodness gracious we need to be going in the EXACT OPPOSITE direction — open source "core inspectable" AIs that millions of people can examine and tear apart, including and ESPECIALLY the training data and processes that create them Except ... when you look at the problem from a military/national security viewpoint. Do we really want to give this tech away just like that?

If you mean US by 'we', it is problematic because AI inventions are happening all over the globe, much more outside US than inside.

Re: Sam Altman goes before US Congress to propose licenses for building AI

#699
post #129

This is the message I shared with my senator (edited to remove information which could identify me). I hope others will send similar messages. Dear Senator [X], I am an engineer working for [major employer in the state]. I am extremely concerned about the message that Sam Altman is sharing with the Judiciary committee today. Altman wants to create regulatory roadblocks to developing AI. My company produces AI-enabled…

> ..is necessary because an AI could hack it's way out of a laboratory. Yet, they cannot explain how an AI would accomplish this in practice.

I’m sympathetic to your position in general, but I can’t believe you wrote that with a straight face. “I don’t know how it would do it, therefore we should completely ignore the risk that it could be done.”

I’m no security expert, but I’ve been following the field incidentally and dabbling since writing login prompt simulators for the Prime terminals at college to harvest user account passwords. When I was a Unix admin I used to have fun figuring out how to hack my own systems. Security is unbelievably hard. An AI eventually jail braking is an eventual almost certainty we need to prepare for.

Re: Sam Altman goes before US Congress to propose licenses for building AI

#700
wow, not one comment here seems to address the first sentence of the article:

    the use of artificial intelligence to interfere with election integrity
    is a "significant area of concern", adding that it needs regulation.
Can't there be regulation so that AI doesn't interfere with the election process?
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