Bill Gates, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg Are Meeting in Washington. It Could Shape AI's Trajectory — and Life as We Know It — Forever. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is hosting some of tech's most influential leaders as lawmakers consider regulation.
By Amanda Breen Edited by Jessica Thomas
Key Takeaways
- AI has the power to increase commercial productivity even as it threatens jobs and national security.
- Schumer will hold nine AI-focused sessions ahead of potential regulation from lawmakers.
AI is celebrated for the innovation and efficiency it brings — and feared for its potential to upend the world as we know it.
Now, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is bringing together influential tech leaders, including Bill Gates, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, as lawmakers consider how to regulate AI, CNN Business reported. The meeting will be the first of nine held on the matter.
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AI, especially generative AI used in tools like ChatGPT, could increase commercial productivity even as it endangers jobs, national security and intellectual property, per the outlet. Sam Altman, CEO of ChatGPT's parent company OpenAI, went so far as to say the technology could put humans at risk of extinction, CNBC reported earlier this year.
Schumer's session will also feature CEOs of Anthropic, Google, IBM, Microsoft, Nvidia, OpenAI, Palantir and X, the company formerly known as Twitter. Some companies, including Google, Microsoft, IBM and OpenAI, have already submitted in-depth proposals that outline layers of oversight, testing and transparency, per CNN.
"I think what these forums will do is give some insight into, you know, what is the range of opinion among members of Congress?" Christopher Padilla, vice president of IBM's global government affairs team, told the outlet. "Is there some consensus on some basic things, like transparency, or respecting intellectual property rules, or explainability of algorithms?"
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The European Union is expected to pass some of the world's most comprehensive safety and transparency restrictions on AI by the end of this year, The New York Times reported.
