Biden’s top tech advisor on why AI safety is a “today problem”

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Jul 15, 2024

In a compelling discussion, Arati Prabhakar, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, shares her insights on the pressing need for AI safety regulations. She emphasizes how innovation must be balanced with public interest, especially in light of current global challenges. Prabhakar also delves into the importance of the CHIPS Act for revitalizing U.S. semiconductor manufacturing and the evolving landscape of copyright law as it relates to AI technologies. Her perspective sheds light on the intersection of technology, policy, and societal impacts.

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INSIGHT

OSTP's Role

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) advises the president on science and technology matters.
It also nurtures the US innovation system, especially federal R&D across various agencies.

INSIGHT

Innovation's Aim

Arati Prabhakar's diverse background in R&D, venture capital, and nonprofits informs her approach.
She aims to use innovation to address current challenges and shape a desirable future.

INSIGHT

OSTP's Approach

The OSTP's small budget focuses on the entire federal R&D system, not individual projects.
It helps select leaders for R&D, monitors shifts impacting research, and addresses cross-cutting issues.

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Today, I’m talking with Arati Prabhakar, the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. That’s a cabinet-level position, where she works as the chief science and tech advisor to President Biden. Arati and her team of about 140 people at the OSTP are responsible for advising the president on not only big developments in science but also about major innovations in tech, much of which come from the private sector.

Her job involves guiding regulatory efforts, government investment, and setting priorities around big-picture projects like Biden’s cancer moonshot and combating climate change. More recently, Arati has been spending a lot of time talking about the future of AI and semiconductors, so I had the opportunity to dig into both of those topics with her as the generative AI boom continues and the results of the CHIPS Act become more visible.

One note before we start: I sat down with Arati last month, just a couple of days before the first presidential debate and its aftermath, which swallowed the entire news cycle. So you’re going to hear us talk a lot about President Biden’s agenda and the White House’s policy record on AI, among other topics. But you’re not going to hear anything about the president, his age, or the presidential campaign.

Links:

Biden’s top science adviser resigns after acknowledging demeaning behavior | NYT
Teen girls confront an epidemic of deepfake nudes in schools | NYT
Senate committee passes three bills to safeguard elections from AI | The Verge
The RIAA versus AI, explained | The Verge
Lawyers say OpenAI could be in real trouble with Scarlett Johansson | The Verge
Barack Obama on AI, free speech, and the future of the internet | Decoder
Meet the Woman Who Showed President Biden ChatGPT | WIRED
Biden releases AI executive order | The Verge
Biden’s science adviser explains the new hard line on China | WashPo
Where the CHIPS Act money has gone | The Verge

Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23961278

Credits:

Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James.

The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.

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