OpenAI CEO Sam Altman proposes licences for building AI to US Congress

Diane Bartz and Jeffrey Dastin

OpenAI, the startup behind ChatGPT, wants the US to consider mandating licences for companies to develop powerful artificial intelligence like the kind underpinning its chatbot, its chief executive was set to tell Congress on Tuesday.
 

In his first appearance before a congressional panel, CEO Sam Altman was to advocate licensing or registration requirements for AI with certain capabilities, his written testimony showed. That way, the US can hold companies to safety standards, for instance testing systems before their release and publishing the results.
 

“Regulation of AI is essential,” Altman said in the prepared remarks which were seen by Reuters.
 

For months, companies large and small have raced to bring increasingly dexterous AI to market, throwing endless data and billions of dollars at the challenge. Some critics fear the technology will exacerbate societal harms, among them prejudice and misinformation, while others warn AI could end humanity itself.

Alphabet adds $115 bn in value, defy AI doubters

Alphabet is back in the game. The artificial intelligence game, that is.
 

Shares in the Google-owner had lagged other megacaps this year amid fears it was losing ground in the race to deploy AI products. Yet since it unveiled its latest AI tools at a developer’s conference last week, the stock has advanced 9 per cent, adding $115 billion in market value and erasing its underperformance against peers like Apple and Microsoft.
 

“Investors are questioning whether Alphabet is a winner or loser as AI changes the landscape,” said Jason Benowitz, senior portfolio manager at CI Roosevelt. “This puts them more solidly in the winner camp.”
 

Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Nowak was among Wall Street analysts heartened by Google’s presentation after what he called “AI overhang” in the stock.