Google and Alphabet have called for regulations in AI, as it poses dangers from technology like deepfakes and facial recognition, while stressing that the legislation should look at the ‘potential harms with social opportunities.’
Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Alphabet, stated that there is no doubt that AI needs regulation, but the approach toward it is the posing question right now.
Although Pichai advocates facial recognition, he believes that it must be approached with caution, and also ‘self-driving cars’ where AI is used significantly also needs new regulations. But in fields like healthcare, AI is underutilized, and it can be extended to AI-assisted products.
Pichai went on to add that conglomerates should not only build technologies and let the market decide the usage of the same. Big companies like Google and Alphabet should also be equally incumbent to make siciaure that the technology available is used responsibly and is open to everyone.
The US and EU currently have plans for regulating AI, and the White House is advocating light-touch regulation that restricts overreach to encourage innovation, whereas the EU is imposing a more direct nature of imposition like banning facial recognition for 5 years. As far as data privacy is concerned, any more divergence from the US and EU will incur additional costs for Google and other international firms.
Pichai noted that such regulations merely on paper are meaningless and that sooner or later, the talk about the need for regulation has to be imposed into action. Alphabet’s competitor, Amazon, and Microsoft will continue selling facial recognition technology.