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After seeking public opinion on regulating AI, the US government now wants to launch a public working group consisting of volunteer experts to address AI risks and benefits. The initiative is launched by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). It focuses on AI technology capable of producing images, videos, text, code, and music.
As AI is taking over different aspects of our life, governments worldwide must be quick to design regulations to mitigate risks and challenges. The US government is somehow at the forefront of AI regulations and even aims to collaborate with the EU in this regard. Gina Raimondo, the US Secretary of Commerce, is now asking AI volunteer experts to share their feedback with the government.
This public working group focuses on generative AI and wants to weigh the AI risks for society as well as its benefits for different sectors. This is the second request for comment (RFC) by a government agency after the first RFC in April.
The US government is asking for volunteer experts’ opinions on generative AI
The final product of this public working group would be a set of guidelines for companies to tackle risks generated by AI. The group works through a collaborative online workspace.
NIST has already developed an “AI Risk Management Framework”. This framework helps the agency manage risks AI could pose to individuals, organizations, and society. The public working group first needs to find out if this guideline could be used to support generative AI development. Then, it needs to support NIST’s AI-related tests and evaluations. Finally, this group must find a way to drive AI capabilities to solve critical health and environmental issues.
“President Biden has been clear that we must work to harness the enormous potential while managing the risks posed by AI to our economy, national security, and society,” Raimondo said in a statement. “Building on the framework, this new public working group will help provide essential guidance for those organizations that are developing, deploying, and using generative AI, and who have a responsibility to ensure its trustworthiness.”
Despite its endless benefits, AI is becoming a source of concern for Big Tech like Apple and Google. Both companies have prohibited their employees from using AI chatbots and sharing confidential material with it.