OpenAI CEO Calls For AI Regulations To Prevent Interference In Election Integrity

OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman, pays attention to AI's ability to influence elections. (photo: Twitter @sama)

JAKARTA - OpenAI CEO, the company behind ChatGPT, told Senate panel on Tuesday May 16 that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to disrupt general election integrity is a "significant area to worry about", adding that regulation is necessary.

"This worries me," said OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, about general elections and AI, stressing the need for rules and guidelines.

Over the months, large and small companies are vying to bring increasingly versatile AI to the market, spending countless and billions of dollars on these challenges. Critics fear the technology will exacerbate social losses, including prejudice and disinformation, while others warn AI could end humanity itself.

"There is no way to control this development. Globally, it is exploding," said Senator Cory Booker, one of the legislators who has questions about how best to organize AI.

Senator Mazie Hirono noted the dangers of disinformation ahead of the 2024 election. "In the context of the election, for example, I saw a picture of former President Trump being arrested by themal and it went viral," he said, asking Altman if he thought the faked image was dangerous.

Altman replied that the creator should explain when an image is produced and not a fact.

Speaking to Congress for the first time, Altman suggested that in general, the United States should consider licensing and testing requirements for the development of AI models.

Altman, asked which AI should be subject to licensing, said that a model that can convince or manipulate one's beliefs would be an example of a "high boundary mine."

He also said that companies should have the right to state that they don't want their data to be used for AI training, which is one of the ideas being discussed on Capitol Hill. However, Altman said that material on the public web would be legitimate targets.

Altman also said that he "will not say" to the idea of advertising but prefers a subscription model.

The White House has gathered leading technology CEOs, including Altman, to discuss AI. US legislators are also seeking action to advance the benefits and security of this technology while limiting its abuse. The consensus is far from certain.

An OpenAI staff recently proposed the establishment of an AI licensing agency in the US, which could be called the AI Infrastructure Safety and Security Office, or OASIS, as reported by Reuters.

OpenAI is supported by Microsoft Corp. Altman is also encouraging global cooperation in the AI sector and incentives for safety compliance.

Christina Montgomery, Chief Privacy and Trust Officer of International Business Machines Corp (IBM), urged Congress to focus regulations on areas that could potentially cause the biggest social loss.