OpenAI Backs Groundbreaking Senate Bills to Revolutionize U.S. AI Policy

OpenAI supports three Senate bills that aim to improve AI safety, education, and standards. The goal is to ensure the safety of AI development and strengthen ties with federal lawmakers.

There are a lot of AI bills going around Congress right now, and OpenAI is supporting some of them. OpenAI supported three Senate bills on Tuesday that could change how the federal government deals with AI.

The Future of AI Innovation Act is one of the bills that would officially make the United States AI Safety Institute a federal body that sets rules and standards for AI models.

In a LinkedIn post, Anna Makanju, Vice President of Global Affairs at OpenAI, said, “We have always supported the institute’s mission. The institute spearheads the U.S. government’s efforts to ensure the safe development and use of cutting-edge AI systems.

Makanju says the bill gives the new institute support from Congress to “minimise the possible risks posed by this new technology.”

OpenAI also backed the NSF AI Education Act and the CREATE AI Act. These bills establish AI educational resources in colleges and K-12 schools, as well as federal scholarships for AI research. So why is OpenAI, the company that created ChatGPT, now supporting US laws?

Makanju writes on LinkedIn that OpenAI thinks the government should do more to make sure AI is safe and simple to use. However, it’s important to note that OpenAI excels in generative AI. Thanks to its partnerships with Microsoft and now Apple, the startup grew quickly and is now worth $86 billion.

As time goes on, OpenAI is likely to be closely watched by regulators. These endorsements help OpenAI build relationships with federal lawmakers. Furthermore, these types of endorsements enable OpenAI to participate in future discussions about AI regulation.

OpenAI Leads the Charge

On Monday, OpenAI, along with Microsoft, Meta, Palantir, Cohere, Amazon, and other large and small businesses, sent a letter to lawmakers supporting the AI Safety Institute.

The Future of AI Innovation Act says that the institute should work with both public and private groups to create rules for AI systems.

The Future of AI Innovation Act also tells federal agencies to create curated datasets that the public can use. Private companies aren’t likely to make these datasets.

OpenAI’s timing is significant; an executive session will discuss two of these bills on Wednesday morning. One of the tricky things OpenAI and other AI companies do is to appease lawmakers who could potentially decide their fate in the future.