Kathi Vidal, the current director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and an engineer who worked with AI in its early stages, made a striking comment about the shortcomings of Tesla’s AI at the recent Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit.
In an open discussion, Vidal revealed her encounter with the AI in her Tesla, which implied significant bias in the system that, in her opinion, was far from inclusive.
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“When I’m driving and I see a voluptuous woman walking down the street, Elon depicts her as a tall white man,” Vidal said, referring to how Tesla’s AI seemingly categorizes all pedestrians in a narrow and, frankly, incorrect way.
Vidal, who has a Tesla Model S Plaid and a Roadster on order, made it clear that she is prepared to take action if this issue is not resolved. “Elon, if you’re listening, I’m going to withdraw my money if you don’t change that,” she added.
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Vidal’s comments reflect broader concerns about biases in AI systems. This comment is just one example of the growing discussion about how artificial intelligence can unintentionally reinforce stereotypes or fail to accurately represent different groups of people. With Tesla at the forefront of autonomous vehicle technology, the biases in its AI systems are especially concerning because they could have real-world consequences.
The director of the US Patent and Trademark Office has experience dating back to the early 1990s, when artificial intelligence was in its infancy and data sets were much smaller than today. Vidal noted that when she worked in the aerospace industry debugging aircraft, they only worked with much smaller, isolated data sets at the time, so there wasn’t even a conversation about big data or bias.
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Vidal also discussed her approach to AI policy during the summit. She said her role focuses on four key issues: jobs, innovation to solve community and world problems, ensuring the U.S. remains competitive and national security. She believes AI should benefit everyone, including eliminating biases like the ones she observed in her Tesla.
She also expressed concerns about the way policies are being framed, noting that all voices must be heard to avoid policies that disproportionately benefit large corporations. “If we look at policy through that lens, we will shape policy for the large organizations,” Vidal said, urging small businesses and individuals to weigh in on AI policy: “You all have an interest in the way we shape policy and we want you to contact us. You can write personal letters, [and] we will have meetings.”
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This article Leading US AI policy official claims Tesla AI ‘recognizes everyone as tall white men’, says she will withdraw her money if not changed originally appeared on Benzinga.com
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