As the artificial intelligence (AI) industry faces mounting scrutiny from lawmakers and federal regulators, OpenAI, led by Sam Altman, is on a quest to recruit new personnel to liaise with Congress.
The San Francisco-based company, with branches in London and Tokyo, is actively seeking a U.S. Congressional Deputy Lead. This Washington, D.C.-based role, as outlined on OpenAI's website, is aimed at "developing strategies and advancing OpenAI's engagement with the U.S. Congress, including developing and managing relationships with House and Senate lawmakers and staff."
According to Newsweek, the job posting also indicates OpenAI's preference for a candidate "with Capitol Hill experience," and a track record of managing private sector relationships and interactions with senior politicians. However, it remains unclear whether this role is a new addition or a replacement for a departing employee, as OpenAI has not responded to requests for comment.
Altman, a frequent contributor to Democratic politicians, has made several appearances before Congress to discuss AI and his role in its development. He has consistently advocated for regulation as a necessary component for the ethical development of AI technologies such as ChatGPT. In a bid to provide clearer guidelines for AI regulation and restrictions, Altman co-founded an AI Ethics Council with Operation HOPE CEO John Hope Bryant.
Bryant, in a previous interview, warned, "There are bad people in the world who will use artificial intelligence to do bad things. We need to get to scale before they do."
Despite these efforts, OpenAI has found itself under the microscope of federal authorities due to its expanding role in the AI industry and its ties with tech behemoth Microsoft, one of Altman's major supporters. Microsoft, as the largest investor in OpenAI, has poured $13 billion into the company over the past five years. This investment has granted Microsoft exclusive access to AI assistant tools based on ChatGPT, OpenAI's flagship product.
However, Microsoft recently relinquished its observational seat on OpenAI's board, a position it held since Altman's brief ousting and subsequent reinstatement as CEO. This development coincides with increased scrutiny from American and European authorities over the relationship between the two major players in the AI industry.
In June, both the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department greenlit potential antitrust investigations into Microsoft and OpenAI, following the announcement of investigations into Nvidia, another tech giant based in California.
The Biden Administration has shown unprecedented commitment to regulating artificial intelligence. Several executive orders and federal agencies have set their sights on industry leaders. Earlier this year, an executive order clamped down on the use of AI to develop biological materials, following recommendations for key mitigations on the technology from the Departments of Energy and Homeland Security.
In a similar vein, President Biden launched the AI Safety and Security Board, a subsidiary of the Department of Homeland Security, to better address issues arising from AI. A report released in February this year also detailed the government's strategy to prevent AI's impact on electoral processes.
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