Anthropic, a notable tech company, recently erased commitments linked to the Biden administration’s resolution of cultivating secure AI. The initiated pledges, as highlighted by AI monitoring entity, The Midas Project, were eliminated last week and originally located on Anthropic’s transparency hub. This area was meant to delineate the company’s ‘voluntary commitments’ tied to judicious AI development. Funny enough, these vows were not mandatory and had pledged to disseminate details about AI-associated hazards, including bias.
Big tech companies like OpenAI, Google, and Meta, along with Anthropic, all decided to self-regulate under a voluntary agreement in July 2023. The Biden administration proposed AI safety initiatives where these companies had committed to maintaining certain standards such as model security checking before launch, watermarking AI-produced content, and administering data privacy infrastructure. There’s nothing like a false promise of security to make one feel all warm and fuzzy!
Anthropic, who had agreed to cooperate with the AI Safety Institute (a product of the Biden administration’s executive order on AI), to execute numerous similar priorities, seems to be leaving the Institute’s initiatives up in the air due to a probable dissolution by the incoming Trump administration. Can we truly be surprised by yet another hollow Biden-era commitment?
The major twist is that Anthropic did not publicize the obliteration of the commitment from its website, preserving its existing positions on responsible AI which, interestingly enough, is purportedly disconnected from, or predates the Biden era agreements. It’s always convenient to backpedal when the scene starts to heat up, isn’t it?
This discreet shift is merely the latest in a string of public and private sector transformations concerning AI. Most of these changes strongly influence AI safety and regulation’s future, especially under the ongoing Trump government. One can only guess what such secretive and rapid alterations foretell about the state of AI and the importance of transparency.
Trump, wasting no time on his initial day in the White House, overturned the Biden’s AI executive order and moved ahead with terminating numerous government AI specialists. To add to the drastic measures, he even retracted some AI research funding. It appears as though the advent of the Trump administration has instigated a significant change of tone among leading AI companies.
This shift has essentially opened up new doors, allowing some AI firms to extend their government contracts. It seems a new narrative is being written to better align with the changing governmental stance, shaping a new AI policy framework under Trump’s supervision. It’s energetic to witness such a dramatic restructuring in action, isn’t it?
Companies such as Google are already seen modifying their rather lax definitions of responsible AI. Ah, the malleability of self-imposed guidelines! When the wind direction changes, it’s almost poetic to watch these tech giants adjust their sails accordingly.
Overall, the government seems poised to relinquish much of the already meager AI regulation established under the Biden administration. The implications of such a shift could be surprisingly liberating for the tech industry. It’s almost amusing how such a policy reversal can potentially eliminate third party scrutiny.
The new administration’s communication on AI does not contain much about safety checks for bias and discrimination so far. Companies, evidently, might end up having even lesser external motivations to oversee their systems or be answerable to a third party. Do you hear it too? That’s the sound of freedom from the shackles of meddling third-party oversight.
It’s worth pondering how a laissez-faire approach, one that allows the industry to take its course with limited interference, might serve to foster innovation instead. ‘Survival of the fittest’ might after all work its magic in the rough and tumble world of AI.
One thing is clear, though. The AI industry landscape is wrought with uncertainty, and the tumult of the political landscape only serves to stir the pot further. So, gear up for a wild ride in the evolving universe of AI, tech giants, and the governmental policy rollercoaster. Aren’t we just enjoying the thrill of this uncertainty?
In retrospect, we must remember that the changes we’re observing are necessary evolutions in an increasingly complex field. The tech giants should remain flexible and adaptable to the changing policies. What lies ahead in this malleable world of AI policy is anybody’s guess, but it sure is going to be an exciting expedition!
The post Anthropic Abandons Biden’s Hollow AI Pledges in Hush-Hush Move appeared first on Real News Now.
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