OpenAI and Google float a self-regulatory AI body, Cohere calls it a cartel
On 15 September OpenAI said it is working with Anthropic and Google on an industry-funded standards body to vet the most powerful AI systems before release. Cohere's chief called it a cartel dressed as safety.
On 15 September, OpenAI said it is working with Anthropic and Google on a self-regulatory body that would test the most powerful AI systems before they reach the public. Speaking at a San Francisco conference, Sam Altman said the industry needs enough time to do this safely. The body has no name, charter or membership roster yet; this is an early-stage proposal.
Where the idea comes from
It builds on a proposal by Google DeepMind's Demis Hassabis for an industry-funded body modeled on FINRA, the US broker regulator. In July, Hassabis urged the US to create an organization to test the most powerful AI systems before public release, saying the funding would need to be substantial and mostly come from industry. The stated purpose is to evaluate powerful models before release and coordinate safety timing across labs.
The pushback
Not everyone is convinced. Cohere co-founder and chief executive Aidan Gomez accused the dominant American labs of forming a cartel under the guise of safety. Senator Bernie Sanders said the answer is binding international safety rules, not voluntary standards from the industry. President Trump, a day earlier, dismissed AI risk warnings as hoaxes.
Source: AFP / Tech Xplore.
