As our world continues to evolve at a breakneck pace, the future of artificial intelligence (AI) hangs in the balance, teetering between ‘profound good’ and ‘profound harm’. On a recent Wednesday, US Vice President Kamala Harris tossed her hat into this global debate during a speech in London, emphasizing the need for AI to adhere to global ‘rules and norms’.
Before attending the 27-country AI Safety Summit in Britain, Harris made a case for watermarking machine-generated content to prevent deception and disinformation. She announced that the US would establish an AI safety institute to evaluate and monitor new technologies, mirroring a move by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Along with Sunak, Harris emphasized the commitment of 30 countries, including the UK, France, and Morocco, to responsible AI use in military applications. The UK summit aims to align leading countries on AI risks, with Britain striving to position itself as a global leader in the field.
Despite the potential threats of AI, such as large-scale AI-enabled cyber attacks and the creation of dangerous bioweapons, Harris urged the world to tackle the full range of AI-related threats. She emphasized that issues like losing health access or being wrongfully imprisoned due to faulty facial recognition can feel existential to those affected.
She dismissed the notion that we have to choose between protecting the public and fostering innovation, insisting we can and must do both. A White House official stated that Harris’s speech aimed to ‘re-assert US global leadership on AI’, and to ‘catalyse global action’.
As the debate on AI’s future rages on, one thing is clear: we’re at a pivotal moment in history where we must create a collective vision for AI’s future. The benefits are immense, but so are the potential harms. It’s a delicate balancing act, but it’s one we must manage to ensure AI serves the public interest.
Our content is enriched by a variety of data from different sources. We appreciate the information available through public web sites, databases and reporting from organizations such as:
