How to govern AI — even if it's hard to predict | Helen Toner
Jul 26, 2024
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Helen Toner discusses the challenges of governing AI despite its unpredictability. She emphasizes the need for smart policies to shape a favorable future. The conversation explores the complexities of understanding AI and the importance of regulating it. Insights are shared on fostering trust and transparency in AI systems.
Governing AI requires adaptable policies to anticipate unpredictable advancements in technology.
Transparency, accountability, and clear insights into AI functionality are essential for informed decision-making and regulation.
Deep dives
Understanding the Complexities of AI
In the podcast episode, Helen Toner, an AI policy researcher, delves into the challenges of understanding and predicting the capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI). She highlights the difficulty in defining intelligence within AI systems, leading to varied expectations and uncertainties about its development. This lack of consensus poses a significant obstacle in governing AI effectively, especially considering the rapid advancement of the technology.
Navigating Governance and Policy for AI
Toner suggests practical approaches to governing AI, emphasizing the importance of adaptability and transparency in policy-making. She underscores the need for clear insights into the functionality and risks of AI systems to facilitate informed decision-making. Toner advocates for measures such as enhanced measurement capabilities, mandatory disclosure by AI companies, and incident reporting mechanisms to monitor and regulate AI advancements proactively.
Balancing Innovation with Ethical Responsibility
Aligned with Toner's perspective, Dr. Ruman Chaudhary emphasizes the significance of trustworthiness and ethical considerations in AI innovation. Chaudhary proposes initiatives to promote transparency and accountability in AI development, including open access to AI data, independent ethical hacking, and standardized evaluation criteria for government AI adoption. Both Toner and Chaudhary advocate for a balanced approach that encourages AI progress while prioritizing safeguards for societal impacts.
No one truly understands AI, not even experts, says Helen Toner, an AI policy researcher and former board member of OpenAI. But that doesn't mean we can't govern it. She shows how we can make smart policies to regulate this technology even as we struggle to predict where it's headed — and why the right actions, right now, can shape the future we want. After the talk, Sherrell expands on what’s needed to ensure that AI aligns with the best interests of humanity, without stifling innovation.