Some of the people driving today’s artificial intelligence boom are getting another responsibility — this time to ensure the U.S. government safely and securely deploys AI in critical infrastructure.
OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang are among almost two dozen tech and business leaders joining a new Artificial Intelligence Safety and Security Board, which will advise the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on protecting the economy, healthcare, and other industries from threats posed by AI, The Wall Street Journal reports. They will work with the department to form recommendations for preventing potential harm from using AI in critical infrastructure, including the power grid and transportation.
Other tech leaders on the new board include Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Google parent Alphabet’s chief Sundar Pichai, as well as Delta Air Lines chief executive Ed Bastian, The Journal reports. The board will also include academics and civil rights leaders.
“A failure to deploy AI in a safe and secure and responsible manner when it comes to critical infrastructure can be devastating,” Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, who will chair the board, told The Journal. He also said implementing AI technology into U.S. infrastructure is a “tremendous opportunity” to improve services in ways that include automating manufacturing and being able to find issues in the power grid.
The Biden administration in October issued an executive order on safe, secure, and trustworthy AI, which established the new board. The executive order also requires that AI developers, such as OpenAI and Microsoft, disclose their safety test results and other information with the federal government before making models public. A DHS official told The Journal the board will hold its first meeting in May, and is expected to meet each quarter.