Boston Globe, August 15, 2023
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/08/15/opinion/letters-to-the-editor-regulating-ai/
It is heartening to see the Globe ramp up coverage and commentary on AI’s promise and risks and the increasingly urgent debate over how to regulate this fast-developing sector. As millions of Americans flock to movie theaters to see the movie “Oppenheimer,” it reminds us that, as in the past, we need to have a full and open debate about the potential for revolutionary technologies.
Throughout 2023, the Boston Global Forum and the Michael Dukakis Institute for Leadership and Innovation have hosted conferences during which world leaders have explored the impact of artificial intelligence on governance, privacy, public health, economies, and the quality of information. We support thoughtful regulation of AI within a human-centered framework, informed by experience and the imperatives of maintaining openness and civil social order. It is heartening to see that major AI players are, at least publicly, cooperative and amenable to government engagement.
The Biden administration has taken important steps to make the federal government a responsible user of AI. It is vital that Congress develop an independent oversight and regulatory body modeled on the one being proposed for the European Union and protect citizens and consumers from potential disinformation and data collection abuses by technology companies. After falling behind on regulating social media, this is a chance to navigate and guide the next technological leap.
Michael S. Dukakis
Chairman and cofounder
Nguyen Anh Tuan
CEO and cofounder
Boston Global Forum
Boston
