California's move to study the risks and uses of artificial intelligence (AI) has been warmly welcomed by tech industry leaders, despite potential future regulations. C3.ai CEO, Thomas Siebel, applauds the initiative, calling it a positive and thoughtful public policy approach.
California's new approach to AI
Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order marking a new chapter in California's approach to AI technology. This order mandates an in-depth study of AI's applications and potential risks. This move, which is seen as 'unusual' in terms of public policy, has been lauded by experts such as Thomas Siebel, CEO of C3.ai, who called it a 'cogent, thoughtful, concise, productive and extraordinarily positive public policy'.
CEO praises AI policy proposal
Thomas Siebel, C3.ai's CEO, has praised California's AI public policy proposal, deeming it a productive and significantly positive initiative. According to Siebel, this proposal aims to enhance understanding of the risks and benefits of generative AI and find ways to use this technology for the welfare of Californians. The potential applications range from flood and wildfire mitigation, safe power generation, fraud avoidance, to privacy risk management.
No regulation, in-depth study
Siebel clarified that the proposal does not entail any regulation for AI companies. Instead, it focuses on studying the benefits and risks of generative AI. The goal is to figure out how to apply generative AI in California to benefit its residents. Areas of application could include mitigating natural disasters, ensuring safe power supply, preventing fraud, and addressing privacy concerns.
In response to a question about privacy being the biggest risk of AI, Siebel stated that there are even greater risks. He pointed out that AI could be used for rationing health care, social media scoring, and deciding who can fly, get insurance, vote, or go to college. Such applications, already seen in China, could also become prevalent in the United States, making the discussion around AI's potential detrimental impacts crucial.
