OpenAI and Google are among more than 300 technology vendors who have signed an open letter pledging to build responsible AI for the future.
Venture capitalist Ron Conway and his company SV Angel released the letter on March 4. The signatories promised to work on building better artificial intelligence technology.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shared it on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying he was excited by the spirit expressed in the document.
Altman said in a tweet on Twitter: “Advances in the field of artificial intelligence will be one of the biggest factors in improving people’s quality of life.” “We need to build it and make it widely available.”
The letter comes days after Company Specific agreement.
It also comes as Google faces criticism over its Gemini AI model for not creating accurate images of numbers.
Lack of actionable steps
Chirag Shah, a professor at the University of Washington's School of Information, said that while the letter expressed admirable aspirations, it did not include any actionable steps.
“It actually makes me angry because it's a nothing letter,” Shah said. He added that this is tantamount to saying we should all be good people, but it does not provide steps to put that sentiment into practice. “She doesn't provide any details. She has no commitment.”
[The letter] Doesn't give any details. She has no obligation. Chirag ShahProfessor at the University of Washington
Moreover, while SV Angell initiated the letter, some could say it's a gambit to repair OpenAI's image following Musk's lawsuit, said Michael Bennett, an AI law and policy advisor at Northeastern University.
OpenAI has reportedly distributed an internal memo refuting the complaint within the lawsuit.
“There's no organizing force behind this or anything like that,” Bennett said in reference to the open letter. “It seems like a PR reaction from OpenAI's point of view, but it doesn't seem like they started it.”
Catalyst
Bennett added that no matter how the message appears, the document can become a catalyst.
“I bet that over the next two or three weeks this message will probably become more important,” he said. “It will likely end up being an element of a broader industry-wide strategy.”
The letter initiated by SV Angel is not the only public statement by industry players about AI ethics and safety.
Another letter issued Tuesday by the MIT-based group Safe Harbor for Independent AI Evaluation suggests that AI organizations make changes to enhance the safety and security of AI systems.
The letter asks AI companies to provide basic protections for more equitable access to AI safety and trustworthy research.
Alongside these moves, the AI industry is seeing increasing legislative interest in regulating the fast-growing technology.
“There is a lot of pressure on the industry,” Bennett said.
For example, many states have now begun using the AI Bill of Rights issued by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy as a blueprint for future laws.
Federal lawmakers are also considering a bill to prevent algorithmic discrimination in artificial intelligence systems, though it has stalled in committee.
“There are real efforts being made to have responsible AI,” Shah said. “While we pay undue attention to these things, we don't want to forget that there is real work happening.”
Esther Ajao is a TechTarget editorial news writer and podcast host covering artificial intelligence software and systems.
