OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (WATE) — As artificial intelligence technology continues to grow, so do concerns about its capabilities. Oak Ridge National Laboratory recently announced support for an executive order signed by President Biden in October.
The order outlines how the United States will promote the safe use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology and establishes requirements for how it is used by businesses, universities, federal agencies, and others.
In September, ORNL announced the launch of the Center for Artificial Intelligence and Security Research (CAISER). Lead researcher Amir Sadovnik said the executive order is consistent with the center’s goals.
“We want to figure out what kind of risks and threats this poses, and the new executive order is exactly what we’re saying is that’s what we need to do.” said.
Being in the same position as the federal government motivated Sadovnik and his team to continue their research.
“To have our concerns affirmed by the president and say, ‘Yes, what you’ve been working on for the past few years is actually a top priority for the government and should continue to be pursued.’ “It feels good in a way to be heading in that direction,” he said.
According to Sadovnik, there are two threats to AI that are unique to this type of technology.
“One is the threat to AI-based systems. For example, if you imagine an AI system trying to recognize a face, there are ways to fool this AI system,” he explained.
Another risk associated with accessing AI is the potential for abuse.
“People can use that to generate, for example, misinformation, fake news and all sorts of other things. We’re already seeing that,” he said.
The president’s approval also brings more attention to the topic, which is important, Sadovnik said.
“This is getting a lot of public attention. I think this is important because it’s important for the public to understand that these things affect them too,” he said. said.
Privacy is another concern outlined in both the executive order and the CAISER team’s goals.
