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Sam Altman says he speaks to someone from the government every few days.
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OpenAI’s CEO spoke to Oprah Winfrey about the future of artificial intelligence.
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Altman stressed the need for a good working relationship between AI companies and the US government.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, said he regularly communicates and collaborates with the U.S. government.
The billionaire discussed his working relationship with Washington, D.C. in a primetime interview with Oprah Winfrey on Thursday.
“Personally, I probably have a conversation with someone in government every couple of days,” Altman told Winfrey.
Winfrey’s special, “AI and the Future of US,” aired this week on ABC and seeks to demystify the ever-evolving technology. In addition to Altman, Winfrey spoke with Microsoft founder Bill Gates and FBI Director Christopher Wray.
Altman stressed the importance of partnerships between the companies developing AI and the government, saying there is an urgent need for security measures.
“One of the first things we need to do — and that’s happening now — is get the government to figure out how to test these systems for safety, the way we do for airplanes or new medicines,” Altman said.
“If we get good at that now, we can more easily determine what the regulatory framework looks like later,” he added.
In OpenAI’s quest to do just that, Altman said he’s in regular communication with various branches of government. The founder said his company is in touch with “a lot of people” in the executive branch and “dozens of people” in Congress.
Last month, OpenAI and Anthropic signed a deal that gives the government access to test and evaluate their artificial intelligence models. The move comes amid growing calls for regulation as the technology rapidly advances.
Altman said his conversations with leaders are focused on how the U.S. can become a global leader in secure AI. The topic is leading to discussions about building enough data centers, manufacturing AI chips, creating a geopolitical strategy around AI, conducting safety testing on the technology, the economic impact of AI and working with other governments.
In August, the United States Agency for International Development became OpenAI’s first federal customer, signing a deal to use the company’s ChatGPT Enterprise service. The move was largely seen as part of OpenAI’s goal of bringing its products to the public sector.
In California, however, OpenAI is opposing an AI safety bill that has divided the tech industry, saying it will “stifle innovation.” People like Geoffrey Hinton, known as the “godfather of AI,” are backing the bill, which would add more regulation to AI.
In March this year, the EU adopted the Artificial Intelligence Act, which came into force last summer.
Read the original article on Business Insider
