The Societal Impacts of Foundation Models, and Access to Data for Researchers
Apr 14, 2024
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PhD candidate Sayash Kapoor and society lead Rishi Bommasani discuss societal impacts of open foundation models. They delve into the spectrum of openness in AI models, mitigating risks, transparency in model development, NTIA's comment process, and challenges for independent researchers accessing social media data. They also touch upon transatlantic relations, focusing on trade and technology council meetings and future uncertainties.
Open foundation models offer broader access and customization, posing risks like cyber security and disinformation.
Regulators face challenges in defining data access for oversight, with hindered access due to privacy concerns.
Public health authorities struggle with limited social media data access, hampering responses to crises like COVID-19.
Independent researchers stress the importance of improved data access for accountability and real-time insights into social platforms.
Deep dives
Understanding Open Foundation Models and Their Societal Impact
Open foundation models are models whose weights are widely available, allowing for broader access and customization by a wide variety of actors. The authors of the paper on the Societal Impact of Open Foundation Models clarified the definitions of open models, focusing on the accessibility of model weights. They pointed out distinctive properties like broader access, lack of monitoring on model usage, and the ability to run models locally for beneficial uses like healthcare applications.
Risk Assessment Framework for Open Foundation Models
The authors identified seven high-risk categories associated with open foundation models, including cyber security, biosecurity, disinformation, and non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII) among others. They emphasized the need for a risk assessment framework that considers marginal risks in comparison to existing technologies, ensuring clear models of potential harm and understanding baseline risks and defenses.
Challenges for Regulators and Data Access
Regulators are facing challenges in understanding what data to request from companies and lack a shared conceptual framework for openness in foundation models. They are exploring mandated access for regulatory oversight but struggle with the complex nature of data access, privacy concerns, and internal data infrastructures within companies, which often impede timely and effective data access.
Implications of Limited Data Access in Public Health
Public health authorities face limitations in accessing social media data for timely response to health crises like the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. They lack direct insights due to restricted data access, hindering their ability to track crucial information and combat misinformation effectively. These limitations underscore the necessity for improved data access mechanisms to bolster public health efforts.
Balancing Short-Term Needs with Academic Research in Data Access
Independent researchers, including journalists, civil society groups, and academics, seek improved data access for accountability, transparency, and immediate insights into social media platforms. While the academic community prioritizes long-term rigorous research, journalists and civil society require short-term actionable insights, highlighting the need to balance data access provisions to address both immediate and long-term needs.
Future Projects and Initiatives
Mark Scott, as Politico's Chief Technology Correspondent, plans to publish a series focusing on AI, disinformation, and elections, starting with a three-part series on these topics next Tuesday. He also intends to delve into insights on these subjects through upcoming projects that involve travel to Seattle and Moldova, aiming to explore the intersection of technology, disinformation, and election dynamics.
Highlights from the Trade and Technology Council Meeting
The Trade and Technology Council meeting emphasized advancements in quantum technology and sustainable practices while celebrating improved EU-US relations under the Biden administration. Despite discussions veering toward positive achievements, there were concerns regarding potential policy shifts based on future US election outcomes and the need for ongoing collaboration in trade agreements, emerging technologies, and regulatory oversight of data access for researchers.
This episode features two conversations. Both relate to efforts to better understand the impact of technology on society.
In the first, we’ll hear from Sayash Kapoor, a PhD candidate at the Department of Computer Science and the Center for Information Technology Policy at Princeton University, and Rishi Bommasani, the society lead at the Stanford Center for Research on Foundation Models. They are two of the authors of a recent paper titled On the Societal Impact of Open Foundation Models.
And in the second, we’ll hear from Politico Chief Technology Correspondent Mark Scott about the US-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) meeting, and what he’s learned about the question of access to social media platform data by interviewing over 50 stakeholders, including regulators, researchers, and platform executives.
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