Rivals Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg set to appear in DC to discuss artificial intelligence
Rivals Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg are expected to attend the same closed-door meeting in Washington on Wednesday to discuss a subject of interest to both executives: artificial intelligence. The CEOs of Tesla (TSLA) and Meta (META) are among a host of tech executives invited to an event organized by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, alongside figures from the worlds of civil rights, defense, labor, and the arts.
AI regulation in Washington
AI regulation has been very much on Washington’s radar since the tech had its “iPhone moment” in 2022, after the release of Open AI’s ChatGPT. Congress has held an array of hearings on the matter, with high-profile questioning of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and several additional hearings happening this week in addition to Schumer’s "AI Insight Forum."
The future of AI regulation
But the way forward on AI regulation remains far from fully formed even as senators begin putting forward proposals. Experts say the final product could end up going in a few different directions in the months ahead. Mark MacCarthy of the Center for Technology Innovation at the Brookings Institution told Yahoo Finance that Wednesday’s gathering could end up being remembered as a moment that helps nudge Congress closer to action — which could come as soon as next year.
Also reportedly set to be in attendance Wednesday are other well-known tech figures from Altman and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates.
Technology companies' perspective
From the perspective of technology companies, the hope appears to be that this week’s meeting can at least help set a common dialogue — and perhaps head off the more aggressive options currently on the table. Business leaders have often stressed that they’re open to regulation, with Altman telling lawmakers in May: “We believe it is essential to develop regulations that incentivize AI safety while ensuring that people are able to access the technology’s many benefits.”
The road ahead for AI regulation
In the end, Schumer and others are considering a range of options, from a broad and aggressive approach that regulates AI as a standalone entity to more piecemeal approaches that put the onus on existing agencies to handle different aspects of the technology. Leading figures from Schumer to President Biden have yet to draw proverbial lines in the sand about what they want in the years ahead on AI regulation, but experts like MacCarthy say a push is coming, perhaps sooner than many think.
Schumer said he wants forums like Wednesday’s gathering to “provide the nutrient agar” for the rest of Congress to draft legislation in the months ahead.
In terms of progress, the best we can hope for is a common sense foundation for future and meaningful negotiations around AI," Markiewicz added.
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