US To Put AI Under Scanner, Aims To Understand Impact On Workers

In order to evaluate the impact of AI technology, the White House will unveil several new measures.

President Joe Biden recently held a meeting with CEOs from leading AI companies such as Microsoft and Google.

Source : Getty

The White House has announced its intention to gather information from workers regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) by their employers. This initiative is part of the government's efforts to allocate federal investments in AI technology and understand its impact on the workforce. To gain insights into the experiences of workers, the White House will be conducting a listening session. This session will involve the participation of gig work experts, researchers, and policymakers, who will discuss employers' use of automated technologies for surveillance, monitoring, and evaluation.

AI applications and tools have gained immense popularity, with millions of users utilising them for various purposes. Medical diagnoses, screenplay writing, legal brief creation, and software debugging are among the tasks that these AI tools can perform. However, concerns have arisen regarding potential privacy violations, biased employment decisions, and the use of AI for scams and misinformation campaigns.

In order to evaluate the impact of AI technology, the administration will unveil several new measures. These include an updated roadmap for federal investments in AI research, soliciting public input on the risks associated with AI, and releasing a report from the Department of Education on how AI affects teaching, learning, and research.

These developments follow a recent meeting hosted by President Joe Biden, which included CEOs from leading AI companies such as Microsoft and Alphabet's Google. During the meeting, the importance of transparency in AI systems and the need for safety evaluations were emphasised.

It is worth noting that President Biden himself has explored and utilised AI technology. In fact, shortly after announcing his reelection bid, the Republican National Committee released a video depicting a dystopian future under a second Biden term, entirely generated using AI imagery. This incident serves as an example of the potential proliferation of political ads created through AI technology.

As AI continues to advance, it is crucial to address its implications for privacy, employment, and misinformation. The White House's efforts to engage with workers, assess risks, and invest in AI research highlight the government's commitment to ensuring the responsible and beneficial use of this transformative technology.