Tech giants sign pledge to develop AI "for the good of humanity", so that's totally fine

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By Benedict Collins
published

Over 280 tech companies have signed yet another letter calling for responsible AI

AI
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

A number of leading tech companies, including OpenAI and Salesforce, have signed a pledge on their “collective responsibility” to “maximize AI’s benefits and mitigate the risks” that the technology poses to the world.

Some experts believe that AI is moving faster than it can be regulated, resulting in questionable and unrestricted uses of the technology to distribute misinformation and threaten democracy.

However OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that he was “excited for the spirit of the letter,” so we have nothing to worry about, right?

Wrong

Several letters and pledges have already been signed devoted to the responsible development and use of AI, with the themes of the commitments surrounding everything from military applications to election interference.

The latest letter, headed by Ron Conway, a venture capitalist and founder of SV Angel, states that, “The balance of its [AI] good and bad impacts on humans will be shaped through the actions and thoughtfulness we as humans exercise.”

“It is our collective responsibility to make choices that maximize AI’s benefits and mitigate the risks, for today and for future generations,” the letter continues. The letter does not state any concrete methods for these goals, surprise surprise.

OpenAI was sued by Elon Musk just a few days ago for allegedly violating the original founding goal of OpenAI, which was to benefit humanity rather than pursue profit. OpenAI denied Musk’s claims.

In May 2023, many tech giants, OpenAI included, signed a similar letter stating that AI has the potential to render humanity extinct if used or developed dangerously. In February, a voluntary agreement was signed by Meta, Google, Microsoft, IBM, Amazon and Adobe alongside a number of social media platforms to combat the creation and distribution of deepfakes that are designed for election interference.

Via Bloomberg

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Benedict Collins
Benedict Collins
Staff Writer (Security)

Benedict Collins is a Staff Writer at TechRadar Pro covering privacy and security. Benedict is mainly focused on security issues such as phishing, malware, and cyber criminal activity, but also likes to draw on his knowledge of geopolitics and international relations to understand the motivations and consequences of state-sponsored cyber attacks. Benedict has a MA in Security, Intelligence and Diplomacy, alongside a BA in Politics with Journalism, both from the University of Buckingham.