Arati Prabhakar, the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, is playing a crucial role in guiding the U.S. approach to safeguarding artificial intelligence (AI) technology. She is relying on cooperation from big American tech firms like Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Meta.

Prabhakar has a diverse background, with experience in both government and the private sector. As a former Silicon Valley executive and venture capitalist, she brings a unique perspective to the table. She has also led the Defense Department’s advanced technology research arm.

President Joe Biden frequently seeks Prabhakar’s expertise on AI, and she appreciates his laser focus on understanding the technology and its implications. They have had exploratory conversations that are action-oriented.

One of the challenges in regulating AI is making the models explainable. Prabhakar acknowledges that deep-learning, machine-learning systems are opaque and akin to black boxes. However, she points out that many risks we face in life are not explainable, yet we have found ways to mitigate the dangers. For example, while she may not be able to predict exactly how a medication interacts with her body, she trusts the process of clinical trials and believes we can do the same for AI.

Prabhakar is concerned about specific AI applications, such as chatbots providing instructions on weapon-building or facial recognition systems leading to wrongful arrests due to bias. Privacy is also a significant concern as individual pieces of data may seem harmless, but when combined, they reveal a lot about individuals.

Several major tech companies, including Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI, have agreed to meet voluntary AI safety standards set by the White House. While Prabhakar acknowledges the importance of these commitments, she emphasizes that government must also step up its responsibilities in both the executive and legislative branches.

Although no specific timeline is provided, Prabhakar assures that future actions regarding AI will be fast-tracked, as President Biden has made it clear that this is an urgent issue.

Definitions:
– Artificial intelligence (AI): The simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think and learn like humans.
– Deep learning: A subfield of machine learning that focuses on neural networks with multiple layers, allowing the system to automatically learn representations of data.
– Machine learning: A method of data analysis that automates analytical model building, allowing computers to learn and make predictions or decisions without explicit programming.

Sources:
– Hindustan Times (source article)

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