U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a broadband event at the White House in Washington, DC, June 26, 2023.
Mustafa Basim | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Vice President Kamala Harris said Wednesday ahead of a White House meeting with civil society leaders in the field that the United States does not need to make “wrong choices” between artificial intelligence innovation and security.
“It’s a false choice to think we’re either driving innovation or protecting consumers,” Harris said. “We can be both.”
Harris said rejecting “wrong choices” would be the government’s “guiding principle”.
“We shouldn’t stifle or in any way slow down innovations that can improve people’s living conditions,” Harris said. “We must also make sure that in the process, we don’t trample on people’s rights.”
Wednesday’s meeting included groups representing specific groups of people or advocating on digital rights issues. The White House confirmed the following list of attendees:
- Alexandra Reeve Gives, CEO, Center for Democracy and Technology
- Harlan Yu, Executive Director, Upturn
- Janet Murguia, President and CEO, United Airlines
- Jo Ann Jenkins, CEO, AARP
- Lisa Rice, President and CEO, National Fair Housing Coalition
- Liz Shuler, AFL-CIO President
- Mary Anne Franks, Chair, Internet Civil Rights Initiative
- Maya Wiley, President and CEO, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
- Sneha Revanur, Founder and President, Encode Justice
- Susan Henderson, Executive Director, Disability Rights Education and Advocacy Fund
Prior to this, Harris had similar discussions with the CEOs of major tech companies working on AI, including Microsoft, Google and OpenAI. AI experts are encouraging governments to listen to diverse voices about the technology so they are not overly influenced by industry priorities.
Congress is weighing its role in building safeguards around artificial intelligence.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer develop a legislative framework Addresses AI-related issues, but release timeline is unclear.
Harris said the panel will discuss AI transparency so the public can understand what these systems are and how they make decisions. She said her concerns about the technology included its impact on privacy, workers, misinformation and discrimination.
Watch: OpenAI’s Sam Altman Testifies Before Congress — Here’s the Moment
