Regulation of AI becomes priority for governments; lawmakers consider issues like consumer dangers, privacy

SAN FRANCISCO: The regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) has quickly become a priority for governments around the world, with legislation being developed from Brussels to Beijing.

Regulatory issues being discussed include how to minimise harm to societies, who exactly would be responsible for AI regulation, and addressing concerns over privacy and copyright.

The technology industry is currently enjoying the AI boom, which has sparked a surge of interest in the private and public markets. 

However, it is gearing up also for what is likely to be a complicated conversation.

“In some sense, having a conversation about AI and responsible AI and societal impact of AI all simultaneously, I think it's a good thing,” said Microsoft chief executive officer Satya Nadella. 

RAPID RISE OF AI

Last month, thousands of the world’s data analytics and AI professionals gathered at the Databricks Data and AI Summit in San Francisco to discuss current topics in the field.

Already, the rapid rise of AI has turned it into a priority for a growing number of businesses. 

Organisations are now looking at how to put AI at the centre of their plans for the future. They hope that the emerging technology will bring better performance and more revenue.

But AI has also raised challenging questions about how the quickly evolving technology should be regulated, said observers. 

Tech firms are hoping that regulation will not slow things down.

AI regulation has been a big topic at the White House recently, particularly over concerns of the technology being used to spread misinformation or enable fraudulent activity. 

It featured prominently in discussions between United States president Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as well as Mr Biden's talks with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.  

“I don't think ever in the history of human endeavour has there been as fundamental potential technological change as is presented by artificial intelligence,” said Mr Biden. 

“It is staggering.”

MAINTAINING COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT IS A CONCERN

Silicon Valley has a lot riding on the various proposals being developed, said experts. 

According to a recent report, the market for AI is expected to grow 20 times larger to nearly US$2 trillion by 2030.

For now, the tech industry is trying hard to engage governments ahead of any decisions on AI regulations. 

Microsoft President Brad Smith, for instance, was in Brussels recently to make his case, while Open AI chief executive officer Sam Altman completed a whirlwind tour of Asia that included meetings with several heads of state.

While stifling innovation is one concern, maintaining a competitive ecosystem is another, observers noted. 

“But I also think regulators should look at how do you make sure that the markets remain competitive, and there is diversity and there are options,” Mr Ali Ghodsi, co-founder and chief executive officer of Databricks, told CNA. 

“And it's not just very few companies that can afford building these really, really large models. I think that's also important when it comes to regulation.”