Apple Inc. has become the latest company to agree to a series of voluntary safeguards for artificial intelligence set by President Joe Biden’s administration, seeking to guide the development of the emerging technology and encourage companies to protect consumers.
On Friday, the government announced that the tech giant is joining OpenAI Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Alphabet Inc., Meta Platforms Inc., Microsoft Corp. and others in testing their AI systems for discriminatory tendencies, security flaws or risks to national security.
The principles require companies to transparently share the results of such tests with governments, civil society and academia, and to report any vulnerabilities.
The promise comes as Apple plans to integrate OpenAI’s chatbot application ChatGPT into its voice-activated assistant on iPhones as part of a new suite of AI features, a collaboration between a tech giant and one of the most influential startups in artificial intelligence.
Following the announcement of the Apple-OpenAI partnership, Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk vowed to ban Apple devices from his companies if OpenAI’s artificial intelligence software is integrated into the operating system, calling it a security risk. Musk has his own AI startup called xAI, which features a chatbot called Grok.
Artificial intelligence has exploded into the mainstream in recent years as more people become familiar with the technology and discover everyday applications for it. However, its use in law enforcement, recruiting and housing has drawn criticism amid accusations that the products promote discrimination.
Biden has frequently touted the benefits of AI technology but has also warned of its potential dangers, and wants the industry to take more responsibility for the safety of its products.
The White House guidelines, while comprehensive, are unenforceable. The administration must take companies at their word that they will adhere to the standards. A bipartisan group of lawmakers in Congress has expressed a desire to regulate AI, but legislation has taken a back seat to other priorities, leaving Biden to act alone.
Biden signed a sweeping executive order last year requiring powerful AI systems to be tested before they could be considered for purchase by the federal government.
He will be briefed on his staff’s progress in implementing the directive in the Oval Office on Friday, a White House official said.
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