- OpenAI has endorsed three Senate bills that can shape the federal government’s stance on AI, including the Future of AI Innovation Act.
- The supports aim to build goodwill with federal lawmakers and position OpenAI to influence future AI regulation discussions.
OUR TAKE
OpenAI has thrown its support behind several Senate bills that can influence the federal government’s approach to AI, including the establishment of a U.S. AI Safety Institute and initiatives to promote AI education and research. This move reflects the company’s belief in the importance of government involvement in ensuring safe and accessible AI, and positions OpenAI to shape future regulatory discussions.
-Rae Li, BTW reporter
What happened
OpenAI, the company behind the AI chatbot ChatGPT, has endorsed three Senate bills that can significantly influence the federal government’s approach to AI. One of these bills, the Future of AI Innovation Act, aims to formally establish the United States AI Safety Institute as a federal body responsible for setting standards and guidelines for AI models. OpenAI’s Vice President of Global Affairs, Anna Makanju, expresses support for the institute, stating that it leads the U.S. government’s efforts to ensure the safe development and deployment of frontier AI systems. The endorsements reflect OpenAI’s belief in the importance of government involvement in ensuring AI safety and accessibility.
In addition to the Future of AI Innovation Act, OpenAI endorses the NSF AI Education Act and the CREATE AI Act. The NSF AI Education Act seeks to provide federal scholarships for AI research, while the CREATE AI Act aims to establish AI educational resources within colleges and K-12 settings. OpenAI’s support for these bills comes at a strategic time, as two of the bills are scheduled for consideration in an Executive Session on Wednesday morning. The company’s timing suggests a deliberate effort to influence lawmakers who may one day shape the regulatory landscape for AI. OpenAI’s recent actions, including signing a letter to lawmakers in support of the AI Safety Institute alongside other tech giants like Microsoft, Meta, Palantir, Cohere, and Amazon, further underscore its commitment to being part of the conversation on AI regulation.
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Why it’s important
OpenAI’s support of these Senate bills highlights the company’s role in shaping AI regulatory policy and its commitment to ensuring the safe and responsible development of AI technology. By publicly supporting these bills, OpenAI is not only projecting a positive image with the government and lawmakers, but also demonstrating its willingness to participate in and influence the development of future AI regulations. This strategic engagement will help ensure that OpenAI maintains its leadership position in the rapid development of AI technology and stays ahead of any regulatory challenges that may arise.
This initiative by OpenAI reflects the growing concern within the AI industry about the regulatory environment. As the widespread adoption of AI technologies and potential risks increase, dialogue between industry leaders and legislators becomes increasingly important. OpenAI’s actions indicate that the company is focused on short-term business benefits, long-term sustainability and industry health.
