Kamala Harris Urges Action to Address All Potential Risks of Artificial Intelligence
On Wednesday, Kamala Harris, the Vice President of the United States, emphasized the need for immediate measures to safeguard the public and democracy against the potential risks associated with artificial intelligence. She unveiled a range of initiatives aimed at addressing concerns regarding the safety of this technology.
In a speech at the US Embassy in London, Harris spoke about the dangers artificial intelligence could pose to individuals and the Western political system.
The technology has the potential to create “cyber attacks that are bigger than anything we’ve seen before” or “AI-engineered bioweapons that could put millions of lives at risk,” he said.
“These threats are often referred to as ‘existential threats from artificial intelligence’ because they could endanger the existence of the entire human race,” Harris added.
The United States on Wednesday announced plans to create a new artificial intelligence security institute to assess potential risks. Britain announced a similar initiative last week.
Some British leaders and lawmakers questioned the timing of his speech, suggesting Washington was trying to overshadow Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s AI security summit on Wednesday and Thursday.
Harris has invited several investigative teams to a closed-door event at the London embassy on Wednesday, two sources said, meaning some participants may have to leave the Bletchley Park summit early.
“It’s a huge problem and it undermines the core here,” said Sachin Dev Duggal, founder of London-based AI firm Builder.ai.
Harris’ speech only briefly referred to the British event he will attend on Thursday.
However, British officials played down their concerns and said they wanted more voices in the debate.
“It’s not necessarily a bad thing that the US has announced political strikes in the context of the summit,” a source at Britain’s technology department told Reuters. “Of course we’d prefer if the guests didn’t leave early.”
THREATS TO DEMOCRACY
In his speech, Harris called for a broader definition of AI security to cover the “full spectrum” of threats, including bias, discrimination and the spread of disinformation.
As examples, he cited seniors being denied healthcare due to a faulty AI algorithm or women threatened by abusive partners with fake photos.
“When people around the world can’t tell fact from fiction because of the flood of AI-supported myths and disinformation, I ask, isn’t that existential for democracy?” he said.
Harris’ speech came after US President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Monday to give the US government more oversight of artificial intelligence systems that could pose risks to national security, the economy, public health or safety.
The new US AI Security Institute will share knowledge and collaborate on research with peer institutions internationally, including the UK’s planned AI Security Institute.
Harris also said 30 countries have agreed to sign a US-backed political declaration on the use of artificial intelligence in national militaries.
