Trump announces formation of ‘AI Force’
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US President Donald Trump has announced plans to create an “AI Force” and appoint an “AI czar” to oversee artificial intelligence. The announcement comes amid growing concerns about the potential risks of the rapidly developing technology.
In a social media post on Saturday, Trump said his administration would “in no way hinder or stifle” the growth of the AI industry. He also rejected calls to slow AI development until adequate safeguards are put in place.
Trump’s announcement came amid a series of warnings about the potential dangers of AI, intensifying calls for coordinated action over the development of the technology.
However, Trump did not provide details about how the proposed force would operate or give a timeline for its implementation. The White House has also not clarified whether the proposed “AI Force” would be a military or civilian organisation.
Trump said AI is the next Industrial Revolution or the internet, but that its impact will be “far greater and broader.” He suggested that AI could eventually be connected to as much as 25% of the US economy. He also said he wants the United States to remain ahead of China in AI development.
AI has become a central area of competition between the United States and China as the world’s two largest economies seek to advance their capabilities in cutting-edge technology. AI is also expected to feature in Trump’s upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trump said that if someone uses AI to commit wrongdoing, his administration would use the existing criminal and civil justice systems to take legal action.
He also reiterated his earlier dismissal of concerns about the potential dangers of AI as “hoaxes.”
Current and former AI researchers have warned that the technology could pose serious risks to humanity. One researcher has even estimated that there is more than a 10% chance of AI causing the deaths of all humans. Such warnings have intensified concerns in recent weeks.
Major AI companies are competing to develop increasingly advanced systems, including what is often described as “superintelligence”—a theoretical form of AI that would be more intelligent than humans.
Leading AI companies Anthropic, OpenAI and Google have disclosed incidents involving security breaches in their systems or cases in which their chatbots were used for “harmful activities.”
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei recently called for slowing the development of AI. He also proposed slowing development across the industry, introducing regulations and establishing independent oversight of the process of developing AI models.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and SpaceX's Elon Musk have both said they agree with Amodei’s recommendations.
Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark told the BBC that the entire industry may need to be required to implement a “kill switch” that can be independently verified by a third party.
Following these warnings, US lawmakers have proposed legislation on AI. However, Altman said this week that Washington was struggling to keep pace with the new technology and determine how it should be regulated. He also said people should place greater trust in technology companies to keep AI safe.
Speaking at a conference in San Francisco, Altman said, “The world should trust us to do the right thing. Because it is the right thing to do, and we understand its importance.”
In the United Kingdom, MPs from various political parties and members of the House of Lords have identified human rights risks arising from artificial intelligence. They also said existing laws are insufficient to address the rapid development of the technology.
The UK Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) has published a report calling for new legislation on AI to “address the scale and significance” of such threats.
Source: BBC
