The Wall Street Journal reports that Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s chief, and Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet, are set to join the government’s Artificial Intelligence Safety and Security Board. They’ll be joined by Jensen Huang from Nvidia, Kathy Warden from Northrop Grumman, and Ed Bastian from Delta, along with other prominent figures from the tech and AI sectors. The board’s main objective is to collaborate with and provide guidance to the Department of Homeland Security on the safe integration of AI into critical infrastructure across the country.
Established last year by the Biden administration through an executive order, the AI safety board aims to regulate the development of AI. Homeland Security’s website states that the board comprises AI experts from both private and government sectors, offering advice to the Secretary and the critical infrastructure community. According to Homeland Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, while AI presents opportunities to enhance services, such as accelerating illness diagnoses and detecting anomalies in power plants, it also poses significant risks that the agency aims to mitigate with the board’s assistance.
However, there’s skepticism about whether these AI industry leaders can provide unbiased guidance, considering their vested interests in advancing AI technologies. While their focus is on promoting AI and its applications, the board’s mandate is to ensure responsible AI usage in critical infrastructure systems. Mayorkas remains optimistic, asserting that the tech leaders comprehend the board’s mission and emphasizing that it’s not about business development.
