AI Poses Huge Risks and Benefits, NTIA Chief Tells CES

NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson sounded a warning about AI during remarks at CES Thursday. Davidson said nearly every booth at the conference hypes AI and claims that the products offered leverage it, he said. “We’re here today because of the growing power of technology in all of our lives -- that power, along with its inherent risks, has really been the animating force in my career,” he said. Humanity can build technologies that will be a force for good, he said: “It also has the power to build tools to monitor our population, divide our societies, weaken the vulnerable or even destroy life itself.” The global discussion around AI and machine learning is the best example of policymakers looking closely at technology's impact, he said. Responsible AI will “bring enormous benefits" and “transform every corner of our economy,” Davidson said. Yet policymakers must address the “very serious and real risks” that AI already presents, he said. Those include concerns about safety, security, privacy, bias, risks from disinformation and the effect on the labor market, he said. As a result, “there is a strong sense of urgency today across the Biden administration and among governments around the world,” he said. Davidson called President Joe Biden’s executive order (see 2310300056) “the most significant government action to date on AI.” Last year, NTIA launched an accountability initiative and will soon release the results, he said. The department is also looking at AI openness and the benefits and risks different AI models pose, he said.