AI companies such as OpenAI, Alphabet and Meta Platforms have voluntarily pledged to the White House to implement measures such as watermarking AI-generated content to help make the technology safer, said on Friday the Biden administration.
The companies — which also include Anthropic, Inflection, Amazon.com and Microsoft partner OpenAI — pledged to thoroughly test their systems before releasing them and share information on how to reduce cybersecurity risks.
The move is seen as a victory in the Biden administration's effort to regulate the new technology that has seen a boom in investment and consumer popularity.
As artificial intelligence, which uses data to create new content like ChatGPT's prose, became wildly popular this year, lawmakers around the world began looking at ways to mitigate the emerging technology's risks to national security and the economy.
Senator Chuck Schumer, who has called for "comprehensive legislation" to promote safety for artificial intelligence, praised the pledges on Friday and said he would continue to work to expand them.
The Biden administration has said it will work to create an international framework to govern the development and use of artificial intelligence, according to the White House.
Congress is considering a bill that would require political ads to disclose whether artificial intelligence was used to create images or other content.
President Joe Biden, who hosted executives from the seven companies at the White House on Friday, appeared to have agreed with them to develop a system that would "watermark" all forms of content, from text, images, audio and even video generated by AI, so that users know when the technology has been used.
This watermark, which will be embedded in the content in a technical way, will apparently make it easier for users to spot fake images or sounds that may, for example, show fake scenes of violence or distort a photo of a politician to put the person in a flattering light.
The same companies also pledged to focus on protecting user privacy as AI is developed and ensuring that the technology is free from bias and not used to discriminate against vulnerable groups.
Other commitments include developing artificial intelligence solutions to scientific problems such as medical research and climate change mitigation.
