OpenAI chief concerned about AI being used to compromise elections

By Diane Bartz, Zeba Siddiqui and Jeffrey Dastin

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The CEO of OpenAI, the startup behind ChatGPT, told a Senate panel on Tuesday the use of artificial intelligence to interfere with election integrity is a “significant area of concern”, adding that it needs regulation.

“I think we also need rules, guidelines, on what’s expected in terms of disclosure from a company providing a model,” Sam Altman said about elections and AI, adding “I am nervous about it.”

For months, companies large and small have raced to bring increasingly dexterous AI to market, throwing endless data and billions of dollars at the challenge. Some critics fear the technology will exacerbate societal harms, among them prejudice and misinformation, while others warn AI could end humanity itself.

“There’s no way to put this genie in the bottle. Globally, this is exploding,” said Senator Cory Booker, one of many lawmakers with questions about how best to regulate AI.

Speaking before Congress for the first time, Altman suggested that in general, the U.S. should consider licensing and testing requirements for development of AI models.

Altman, asked to opine on which AI should be subject to licensing, said a model that can persuade or manipulate a person’s beliefs would be an example of a “great threshold.”

He also said companies should have the right to say they do not want their data used for AI training, which is one idea being discussed on Capitol Hill. Altman said, however, that material on the public web would be fair game.

Altman also said he “wouldn’t say never” to the idea of advertising but preferred a subscription-based model.

The White House has convened top technology CEOs including Altman to address AI. U.S. lawmakers likewise are seeking action to further the technology’s benefits and national security while limiting its misuse. Consensus is far from certain.

An OpenAI staffer recently proposed the creation of a U.S. licensing agency for AI, which could be called the Office for AI Safety and Infrastructure Security, or OASIS, Reuters has reported.

OpenAI is backed by Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:). Altman is also calling for global cooperation on AI and incentives for safety compliance.

Christina Montgomery, International Business Machines (NYSE:) Corp chief privacy and trust officer, urged Congress to focus regulation on areas with the potential to do the greatest societal harm.