OpenAI and Google Urge US Government to Bolster AI Leadership

OpenAI and Google Push for US Government Action to Secure AI Leadership

OpenAI and Google are calling on the US government to take swift action to ensure the nation maintains its leading position in artificial intelligence.

In separate letters, the companies emphasized the need for the US to proactively address both the opportunities and the challenges presented by the rapid advancement of AI technology. OpenAI, in a letter to the Office of Science and Technology Policy, stated that the US AI sector is approaching Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). The company also noted a concern about the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aiming to surpass the US by 2030. The letter suggested that the “new AI Action Plan” could ensure that the US, with its democratic principles, prevails over authoritarian AI models developed by the CCP.

Google, in its own communication, echoed the sentiment. “While America currently leads the world in AI – and is home to the most capable and widely adopted AI models and tools – our lead is not assured,” according to Google.

OpenAI’s Vision for AI Advancement

OpenAI highlighted AI’s potential to “scale human ingenuity”, driving productivity, prosperity, and freedom. They compared current advancements in AI to historical leaps in innovation, such as the domestication of the horse, the invention of the printing press, and the advent of the computer. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman described the present moment as being “on the doorstep of the next leap in prosperity.” The company stresses the importance of “freedom of intelligence,” advocating for open access to AGI while safeguarding against autocratic control and bureaucratic barriers.

OpenAI also presented three key scaling principles for AI:

1. The intelligence of an AI model is roughly equivalent to the log of the resources used to train and run it.
2. The cost to utilize a given level of AI capability decreases by approximately 10x every 12 months.
3. The amount of time it takes to improve an AI model is consistently diminishing.

Google’s Strategic Recommendations

Google proposed a three-part plan, urging the US government to concentrate on the following aspects:

1. Invest in AI: Advocate for coordinated measures to meet the growing energy demands of AI infrastructure, promote balanced export controls, continue funding research and development, and enact pro-innovation federal policy structures.
2. Accelerate and modernize government AI adoption: Urge the federal government to lead by example through the use and distribution of AI, integrating multi-vendor, interoperable AI solutions, and streamlining procurement procedures.
3. Promote pro-innovation approaches internationally: Support AI innovation via active international economic policies. This includes advocating for market-driven technical standards, working alongside allied nations to address national security risks, and combating restrictive foreign AI barriers.

Policy Recommendations Outlined

Both OpenAI and Google provided detailed policy recommendations for the US government to consider:

OpenAI’s Proposals:

• A regulatory framework designed to enable the freedom to innovate via voluntary partnerships between the federal government and the private sector.
• An export control strategy that promotes the worldwide adoption of American AI systems while preserving America’s current AI advantage.
• A copyright approach that safeguards content creators’ rights while permitting American AI models to learn from copyrighted material.
• An infrastructure strategy that supports growth, including policies for cultivating an AI-ready workforce and facilitating ecosystems of labs, startups, and larger companies.
• An ambitious government adoption approach to guarantee the US government sets an example of utilizing AI for the benefit of its citizens.

Google’s Recommendations:

• Advance energy policies to facilitate domestic data centers, which includes reforms to transmission and permitting processes.
• Implement balanced export control policies that support market access while mitigating relevant risks.
• Accelerate AI R&D, streamline access to computing resources, and incentivize public-private partnerships.
• Develop a pro-innovation federal framework for AI, including: federal legislation that prevents a patchwork of state laws; access to data that promotes fair learning within the industry; an emphasis on sector-specific, risk-based AI governance; and initiatives to develop AI skills within the workforce.

Both OpenAI and Google underscored the importance of decisive, immediate measures. OpenAI expressed concern that America’s leading position in AI is narrowing, while Google emphasized that policy decisions will determine the outcome of the global AI competition. Google stated: “We are in a global AI competition, and policy decisions will determine the outcome. A pro-innovation approach that protects national security and ensures that everyone benefits from AI is essential to realizing AI’s transformative potential and ensuring that America’s lead endures.”