It’s here for good, or ill.Since ChatBotGPT made its debut late last year, the world’s technocratti have been warning of both the promise and dangers of artificial intelligence (AI).That’s why American President Joe Biden is marshalling all the powers of the US government to impose sweeping — but vague — guidelines on the development of AI, ranging from defence, civil liberties and even the development of chemical weapons and biological agents such as viruses.Biden signed a long-awaited executive order in Washington, DC on Monday morning under the auspices of the Defence Production Act — a 1950s Korean War-era statute requiring businesses to prioritize contracts for materials deemed necessary for national defence, regardless of the cost..“Success in creating effective AI, could be the biggest event in the history of our civilization. Or the worst. We just don’t know. So we cannot know if we will be infinitely helped by AI, or ignored by it and side-lined, or conceivably destroyed by it,” Stephen Hawking, 2017.In a statement from the White House, the administration said the framework ensures “America leads the way in seizing the promise and managing the risks” associated with AI."“The Executive Order establishes new standards for AI safety and security, protects Americans’ privacy, advances equity and civil rights, stands up for consumers and workers, promotes innovation and competition, advances American leadership around the world and more,” it said.It comes after people such as Bill Gates, Elon Musk and even the late Stephen Hawking have sounded alarm bells on the ability of AI to interfere in elections, disrupt financial markets and even wage war..Up until now, AI has been mostly a novelty used to generate news stories, poems and so-called ‘deep fake’ videos and photos. On November 2 the remaining Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, will officially release a new single, Now and Then, featuring AI that separated John Lennon’s original vocals from a piano used in the late 1970s. But its clear governments are especially concerned about the potential disruption of virtually all facets of everyday life..Although the White House was particularly broad in scope, it was also conspicuously absent on details — apart from a recognition the technology is going to have an outsized impact on almost all facets of everyday life, from commerce and communications, to cybersecurity, privacy and even weapons of mass destruction.What’s striking is governments are taking steps to regulate something before they even know what it is.While Biden has previously said AI holds the potential to find new cures for diseases such as cancer, the order also recognizes threats to civil liberties and national security to counter adversaries military use of AI.”“AI can bring real benefits to consumers — for example, by making products better, cheaper and more widely available. But AI also raises the risk of injuring, misleading or otherwise harming Americans,” it said.Further: “AI is changing America’s jobs and workplaces, offering both the promise of improved productivity but also the dangers of increased workplace surveillance, bias and job displacement.”As part of the platform, the US will also seek to develop bilateral agreements with other countries and trading partners, including Canada but excluding China, to implement standards and legislation.It also includes immigration provisions to attract and lure tech workers with AI specialization, both for private industry, government and military roles.To that end, Vice-President Kamala Harris will speak at an AI safety summit in London this week hosted by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Biden himself is scheduled to deliver remarks in Washington later today.
