President Biden was scheduled to meet with several artificial intelligence experts on Tuesday to discuss the technology’s benefits and risks, including its potential impacts on “bias and prejudice.”
A White House official stated, “These experts include those who have been outspoken on the impact of AI on jobs, children, bias and prejudice, the risks posed by AI if it isn’t properly regulated, and also those who understand the benefits it provides for education and medicine if this technology is built safely from the start.”
Biden is traveling to San Francisco until Wednesday to hear from eight experts in the industry, including Common Sense Media CEO Jim Steyer, Center for Human Technology co-founder Tristan Harris, former Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence CEO Oren Etzioni, and Khan Academy Founder and CEO Sal Khan.
The president was also scheduled to hear from Joy Buolamwin, the founder of Algorithmic Justice League, an organization dedicated to “leading a cultural movement towards equitable and accountable AI.”
“We now live in a world where AI governs access to information, opportunity and freedom. However, AI systems can perpetuate racism, sexism, ableism, and other harmful forms of discrimination, therefore, presenting significant threats to our society – from healthcare, to economic opportunity, to our criminal justice system,” the organization’s website states.
The White House’s “National Artificial Intelligence R&D Strategic Plan,” updated in late May, expressed the administration’s commitment to ensuring that AI advances “equity.”
“AI system development, when approached in a manner that mitigates bias and harm and is done in accordance with the civil rights, civil liberties, and interests of those affected by the system, can help address complex societal challenges,” the plan states. “Properly developed, AI can help provide data-driven inputs as society tries to address issues in domains that advance equity, climate change adaptation and mitigation, employment, and healthcare, especially for those traditionally underserved. AI often exacerbates bias, but ongoing research has shown that it can also be used to identify and mitigate harmful bias in current practice.”
According to a White House official, developing regulations for the AI industry is a top priority for the Biden administration. The official reported that White House principals are reportedly meeting two to three times per week to discuss AI.
Last month, the administration announced a $140 million investment in the AI industry to establish seven research institutes.
The administration told the Associated Press that White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients’ office is developing “decisive actions” the government can take to regulate AI.
During Biden’s San Francisco visit, he is slated to hold two fundraising events to raise money for his 2024 reelection run, according to the AP.
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