Arati Prabhakar talks about Biden's shift towards aspirational AI goals, balancing promise and peril. They discuss US-China AI dialogue, leveraging AI for societal advancement, Congress' role in shaping AI future, and future steps in AI policy.
President Biden is shifting focus to the aspirational uses of AI, balancing risks and benefits.
US and China are engaging in discussions on AI risks, aiming to find common ground.
Deep dives
Biden Transitioning Focus to AI Promise
President Biden has shifted his focus from emphasizing the peril of artificial intelligence to highlighting its promises. Initiatives like the AI Bill of Rights, volunteer agreements with companies, and executive orders have laid the groundwork. Biden's recent visit to Wisconsin, where Microsoft pledged to train workers in AI, reflects this shift. The administration is now looking at aspirational uses of AI, aiming to strike a balance between risks and benefits.
US-China Dialogue on AI Risks
The US and China are engaging in discussions on AI risks and safety, acknowledging the strategic competition between the two countries. Despite tensions over AI applications, both sides aim to find common ground in managing risks and ensuring safety. The dialogue seeks to address concerns such as surveillance, export controls, and geopolitical implications of AI.
Driving AI Ambitions in the US
Efforts are underway to advance AI capabilities in the US, focusing on public and private sector collaboration. The White House is planning an event to showcase transformative national capabilities of AI. Emphasizing the need to harness AI for societal benefits like improving healthcare and education, the government aims to mobilize resources to achieve national aspirations using AI technology.
When President Joe Biden talks about artificial intelligence, he’ll often refer to the technology’s “promise and peril.” Yet much of his AI agenda to date has focused on the latter. Now, the White House is shifting focus to the “aspirational” uses of AI -- a change in tone that could be complicated by the perils that remain. On POLITICO Tech, Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Arati Prabhakar tells Steven Overly about Biden’s plan to “start shaping the next chapter” of AI focused on its upsides.