عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Technology

Governments Race to Regulate AI Tools

An AI (Artificial Intelligence) sign is seen at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China July 6, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo
An AI (Artificial Intelligence) sign is seen at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China July 6, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo
TT
TT

Governments Race to Regulate AI Tools

An AI (Artificial Intelligence) sign is seen at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China July 6, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo
An AI (Artificial Intelligence) sign is seen at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China July 6, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo

Rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) such as Microsoft-backed OpenAI's ChatGPT are complicating governments' efforts to agree to laws governing the use of the technology, Reuters said.
Here are the latest steps national and international governing bodies are taking to regulate AI tools:
AUSTRALIA
* Planning regulations
Australia will make search engines draft new codes to prevent the sharing of child sexual abuse material created by AI and the production of deepfake versions of the same material, its internet regulator said in September.
BRITAIN
* Planning regulations
Governments and companies need to address the risks of AI head on, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Oct. 26 ahead of the first global AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park on Nov. 1-2.
Sunak added Britain would set up the world's first AI safety institute to "understand what each new model is capable of, exploring all the risks from social harms like bias and misinformation through to the most extreme risks".
Britain's data watchdog said on Oct. 10 it had issued Snap Inc's Snapchat with a preliminary enforcement notice over a possible failure to properly assess the privacy risks of its generative AI chatbot to users, particularly children.
CHINA
* Implemented temporary regulations
China published proposed security requirements for firms offering services powered by generative AI on Oct. 12, including a blacklist of sources that cannot be used to train AI models.
The country issued a set of temporary measures in August, requiring service providers to submit security assessments and receive clearance before releasing mass-market AI products.
EUROPEAN UNION
* Planning regulations
European lawmakers agreed on Oct. 24 on a critical part of new AI rules outlining the types of systems that will be designated "high risk", and inched closer to a broader agreement on the landmark AI Act, according to five people familiar with the matter. An agreement is expected in December, two co-rapporteurs said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sept. 13 called for a global panel to assess the risks and benefits of AI.
FRANCE
* Investigating possible breaches
France's privacy watchdog said in April it was investigating complaints about ChatGPT.
G7
* Seeking input on regulations
G7 leaders in May called for the development and adoption of technical standards to keep AI "trustworthy".
ITALY
* Investigating possible breaches
Italy's data protection authority plans to review AI platforms and hire experts in the field, a top official said in May. ChatGPT was temporarily banned in the country in March, but it was made available again in April.
JAPAN
* Investigating possible breaches
Japan expects to introduce by the end of 2023 regulations that are likely closer to the US attitude than the stringent ones planned in the EU, an official close to deliberations said in July.
The country's privacy watchdog has warned OpenAI not to collect sensitive data without people's permission.
POLAND
* Investigating possible breaches
Poland's Personal Data Protection Office said on Sept. 21 it was investigating OpenAI over a complaint that ChatGPT breaks EU data protection laws.
SPAIN
* Investigating possible breaches
Spain's data protection agency in April launched a preliminary investigation into potential data breaches by ChatGPT.
UNITED NATIONS
* Planning regulations
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Oct. 26 announced the creation of a 39-member advisory body, composed of tech company executives, government officials and academics, to address issues in the international governance of AI.
The UN Security Council held its first formal discussion on AI in July, addressing military and non-military applications of AI that "could have very serious consequences for global peace and security", Guterres said at the time.
US
* Seeking input on regulations
The White House is expected to unveil on Oct. 30 a long-awaited AI executive order, which would require "advanced AI models to undergo assessments before they can be used by federal workers", the Washington Post reported.
The US Congress in September held hearings on AI and an AI forum featuring Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
More than 60 senators took part in the talks, during which Musk called for a US "referee" for AI. Lawmakers said there was universal agreement about the need for government regulation of the technology.
On Sept. 12, the White House said Adobe, IBM , Nvidia and five other firms had signed President Joe Biden's voluntary commitments governing AI, which require steps such as watermarking AI-generated content.
A Washington D.C. district judge ruled in August that a work of art created by AI without any human input cannot be copyrighted under US law.
The US Federal Trade Commission opened in July an investigation into OpenAI on claims that it has run afoul of consumer protection laws.

Most Viewed

 
 
Technology

As AI Gains a Workplace Foothold, States are Trying to Make Sure Workers Don't Get Left Behind

Figurines with computers and smartphones are seen in front of the words "Artificial Intelligence AI" in this illustration taken, February 19, 2024. (Reuters)
Figurines with computers and smartphones are seen in front of the words "Artificial Intelligence AI" in this illustration taken, February 19, 2024. (Reuters)
TT
TT

As AI Gains a Workplace Foothold, States are Trying to Make Sure Workers Don't Get Left Behind

Figurines with computers and smartphones are seen in front of the words "Artificial Intelligence AI" in this illustration taken, February 19, 2024. (Reuters)
Figurines with computers and smartphones are seen in front of the words "Artificial Intelligence AI" in this illustration taken, February 19, 2024. (Reuters)

With many jobs expected to eventually rely on generative artificial intelligence, states are trying to help workers beef up their tech skills before they become outdated and get outfoxed by machines that are becoming increasingly smarter.
Connecticut is working to create what proponents believe will be the country's first Citizens AI Academy, a free online repository of curated classes that users can take to learn basic skills or obtain a certificate needed for employment, The Associated Press said.
“This is a rapidly evolving area," said state Democratic Sen. James Maroney. "So we need to all learn what are the best sources for staying current. How can we update our skills? Who can be trusted sources?”
Determining what skills are necessary in an AI world can be a challenge for state legislators given the fast-moving nature of the technology and differing opinions about what approach is best.
Gregory LaBlanc, professor of Finance, Strategy and Law at the Haas School of Business at Berkeley Law School in California, says workers should be taught how to use and manage generative AI rather than how the technology works, partly because computers will soon be better able to perform certain tasks previously performed by humans.
“What we need is to lean into things that complement AI as opposed to learning to be really bad imitators of AI," he said. “We need to figure out what is AI not good at and then teach those things. And those things are generally things like creativity, empathy, high level problem solving.”
He said historically people have not needed to understand technological advancements in order for them to succeed.
“When electricity came along, we didn’t tell everybody that they needed to become electrical engineers,” LeBlanc said.
This year, at least four states — Connecticut, California, Mississippi and Maryland — proposed legislation that attempted to deal with AI in the classroom somehow. They ranged from Connecticut's planned AI Academy, which was originally included in a wide-ranging AI regulation bill that failed but the concept is still being developed by state education officials, to proposed working groups that examine how AI can be incorporated safely in public schools. Such a bill died in the Mississippi legislature while the others remain in flux.
One bill in California would require a state working group to consider incorporating AI literacy skills into math, science, history and social science curriculums.
“AI has the potential to positively impact the way we live, but only if we know how to use it, and use it responsibly,” said the bill's author, Assemblymember Marc Berman, in a statement. “No matter their future profession, we must ensure that all students understand basic AI principles and applications, that they have the skills to recognize when AI is employed, and are aware of AI’s implications, limitations, and ethical considerations."
The bill is backed by the California Chamber of Commerce. CalChamber Policy Advocate Ronak Daylami said in a statement that incorporating information into existing school curricula will “dispel the stigma and mystique of the technology, not only helping students become more discerning and intentional users and consumers of AI, but also better positioning future generations of workers to succeed in an AI-driven workforce and hopefully inspiring the next generation of computer scientists.”
While Connecticut's planned AI Academy is expected to offer certificates to people who complete certain skills programs that might be needed for careers, Maroney said the academy will also include the basics, from digital literacy to how to pose questions to a chatbot.
He said it's important for people to have the skills to understand, evaluate and effectively interact with AI technologies, whether it’s a chatbot or machines that learn to identify problems and make decisions that mimic human decision-making.
“Most jobs are going to require some form of literacy,” Maroney said. “I think that if you aren’t learning how to use it, you’ll be at a disadvantage."
A September 2023 study released by the job-search company Indeed found all US jobs listed on the platform had skills that could be performed or augmented by generative AI. Nearly 20% of the jobs were considered “highly exposed,” which means the technology is considered good or excellent at 80% or more of the skills that were mentioned in the Indeed job listings.
Nearly 46% of the jobs on the platform were “moderately exposed,” which means the GenAI can perform 50% to 80% of the skills.
Maroney said he is concerned how that skills gap — coupled with a lack of access to high-speed internet, computers and smart phones in some underserved communities — will exacerbate the inequity problem.
A report released in February from McKinsey and Company, a global management consulting firm, projected that generative AI could increase household wealth in the US by nearly $500 billion by 2045, but it would also increase the wealth gap between Black and white households by $43 billion annually.
Advocates have been working for years to narrow the nation’s digital skills gap, often focusing on the basics of computer literacy and improving access to reliable internet and devices, especially for people living in urban and rural areas. The advent of AI brings additional challenges to that task, said Marvin Venay, chief external affairs and advocacy officer for the Massachusetts-based organization Bring Tech Home.
“Education must be included in order for this to really take off publicly ... in a manner which is going to give people the ability to eliminate their barriers,” he said of AI. “And it has to be able to explain to the most common individual why it is not only a useful tool, but why this tool will be something that can be trusted.”
Tesha Tramontano-Kelly, executive director of the Connecticut-based group CfAL for Digital Inclusion, said she worries lawmakers are “putting the cart before the horse” when it comes to talking about AI training. Ninety percent of the youths and adults who use her organization's free digital literacy classes don't have a computer in the home.
While Connecticut is considered technologically advanced compared to many other states and nearly every household can get internet service, a recent state digital equity study found only about three-quarters subscribe to broadband. A survey conducted as part of the study found 47% of respondents find it somewhat or very difficult to afford internet service.
Of residents who reported household income at or below 150% of the federal poverty level, 32% don't own a computer and 13% don't own any internet enabled device.
Tramontano-Kelly said ensuring the internet is accessible and technology equipment is affordable are important first steps.
“So teaching people about AI is super important. I 100% agree with this,” she said. “But the conversation also needs to be about everything else that goes along with AI."