06-11-2024
Thirteen current and former employees from OpenAI and Google DeepMind posted a public letter called "A Right to Warn About Advanced Artificial Intelligence." The writers note the enormous potential benefits of developing artificial intelligence while warning about the lack of proper safeguards and the potential for danger.
Several of these employees left their jobs because they fear company leaders are not handling AI technology responsibly. They speak to the racial bias and misinformation inherent in AI now as well as to concern about a future existential risk. "AI companies have strong financial incentives to avoid effective oversight, and we do not believe bespoke structures of corporate governance are sufficient to change this," the employees write. Current laws require little information sharing with government officials and none with the public. In their letter, the employees propose AI leaders make their activities more transparent.
The writers point to the lack of adequate whistleblower protections that prevent them from using their knowledge to hold AI companies accountable. They state, "Ordinary whistleblower protections are insufficient because they focus on illegal activity, whereas many of the risks we are concerned about are not yet regulated." Most of these employees sign confidentiality agreements that inhibit them from voicing their concerns to the public or government. In their letter, they ask AI companies not to enforce NDAs, create anonymous ways to report issues to a company's board and regulators, support open criticism, and choose not to retaliate against employees for public whistleblowing. OpenAI told CNBC that it agrees with the importance of rigorous debate and that it will continue to engage with governments and the community. The spokesperson noted the company's anonymous integrity hotline and Safety and Security Committee.