In December, Sam Altman, chief executive of OpenAI, donated $1 million to President-elect Donald J. Trump’s inaugural fund, joining a number of other tech executives working to improve relations with Mr. Trump. Trump.
Now, he and his company are laying out their vision for the development of artificial intelligence in the United States, hoping to shape how the next presidential administration handles this increasingly important technology.
On Monday, OpenAI released what it calls its financial plan for “AI in America,” suggesting ways policymakers can encourage the development of artificial intelligence in the United States, minimize the risks posed by the technology and maintain the lead over China.
“We believe America must act now to maximize AI’s potential while minimizing its harm,” Chris Lehane, OpenAI’s head of global policy, wrote in the 15-page document. “We want to work with policymakers to ensure that the benefits of AI are shared responsibly and fairly.”
OpenAI started the AI ​​boom in late 2022 with the launch of the ChatGPT online chatbot. The company continues to lead the field, but faces countless competitors. One of its biggest rivals, xAI, is headed by Elon Musk, who has developed a close relationship with Mr Trump.
Many AI companies and independent experts believe that technologies like ChatGPT can increase economic growth by accelerating work and research in fields as far-flung as computer programming, medicine, education and finance. But the continued development of these technologies requires massive amounts of raw computing power and electricity.
OpenAI and its competitors are racing to expand the pool of giant computing data centers needed to build and run their AI systems, which will require hundreds of billions of dollars in new investment. With the new financial plan, OpenAI hopes to encourage government policies that can facilitate this additional infrastructure.
More specifically, the company called on policymakers to allow significant investment in US AI projects from investors in the Middle East, although the Biden administration has been wary of such investments. OpenAI argues that if countries like the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia do not invest in US infrastructure, their money will flow to China.
“Will these countries build on US rails or will they build on CCP rails?” said Mr. Lehane in an interview, referring to the Chinese Communist Party. He described nations such as the Emirates and Saudi Arabia not as allies but more as “swing states” that will choose the United States or China for investment in artificial intelligence.
OpenAI also called on the government to take a light-hearted approach when creating regulations aimed at ensuring the safety and security of technologies built by OpenAI and its American rivals.
(The New York Times sued OpenAI and its partner Microsoft, accusing them of copyright infringement of news content related to artificial intelligence systems. OpenAI and Microsoft have denied these claims.)
Last year, California lawmakers tried and failed to pass a bill that would have imposed restrictions on tech companies that build artificial intelligence systems. OpenAI officials argued that the federal government, not states, should control regulations related to the safety and security of AI development.
“That would just create a real mismatch, both in terms of national security and in terms of economic competitiveness,” Mr. Lehane.
Mr. Altman will launch a charm offensive with a Jan. 30 event in Washington, D.C., where he will discuss the future of artificial intelligence development with lawmakers, economists and Trump administration officials and demonstrate new OpenAI technology that he believes will demonstrate its economic power. artificial intelligence
