Major AI Players, Including OpenAI and Google, Commit to Watermark AI Content for Enhanced Safety, Confirms White House

President Joe Biden announced that major AI companies, including OpenAI, Alphabet (the parent company of Google), and Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook), have voluntarily committed to measures aimed at making AI technology safer. The companies also include Anthropic, Inflection, Amazon.com, and Microsoft (which partners with OpenAI).

The commitments were made at a White House event addressing concerns about AI's potential for disruptive use, with Biden emphasizing the need to be vigilant about emerging technology threats to U.S. democracy. The companies pledged to test AI systems thoroughly before release, share information on risk reduction and invest in cybersecurity.

This move aligns with the Biden administration's efforts to regulate AI, which has seen significant investment and popularity. The companies' commitments aim to enhance AI safety, security, and public benefit.

The article highlights the lag in U.S. AI regulation compared to the EU, where lawmakers have already agreed on draft rules requiring disclosure of AI-generated content and safeguards against illegal content.

As part of the effort, the companies committed to developing a system to watermark AI-generated content, including text, images, audios, and videos, to make it easier for users to identify deep-fakes and potentially harmful content. However, specific details about how the watermark will be evident in shared content remain unclear.

The companies also pledged to focus on protecting user privacy, eliminating bias, and using AI to address scientific challenges like medical research and climate change mitigation. President Biden is also working on an executive order and bipartisan legislation to address AI technology further.