A dozen European Union politicians have joined hands to call for the “safe” development of artificial intelligence (AI) and to push for universal rules around its development.
This comes after Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, warned against releasing powerful AI technology before society had adapted to it.
The EU Parliament member, Dragoș Tudorache, shared an open letter on Twitter on April 16, which urged the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Joe Biden to convene a summit on AI and establish governing principles for the development, control, and deployment of the tech.
The letter highlights the need for a collaborative effort to regulate AI development, as the speed of technological progress has surpassed policymakers’ expectations.
The letter also urged companies and countries worldwide to “strive for an ever-increasing sense of responsibility” while developing AI, and for the principals of the Trade and Technology Council (TTC) to agree on a preliminary agenda for the proposed AI summit.
In an April 16 interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes, Sundar Pichai expressed caution around the rapid development of AI, saying that society might need time to adapt to the new tech.
He warned that releasing powerful AI technology with little time for adaptation could have unforeseen consequences. Pichai, however, expressed optimism that responsible people were figuring out how to approach this technology.
The concerns put forward by the EU politicians were similar to those of more than 2,600 tech leaders and researchers, who called for a temporary pause on further AI development, fearing “profound risks to society and humanity.”
Among the other signatories of the letter were Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, and other AI CEOs, chief technology officers, and researchers.
