ChatGPT-maker OpenAI is “in favour” of the UK enacting legislation governing generative AI and called for it to “incentivise safety practices” as the firm attempts to kindle friendly relations with the new Labour government.
Speaking at the Labour Party Conference on Monday, OpenAI’s head of UK policy Brittany Smith said the Microsoft-backed tech giant is calling on the British government to be clearer about its preferred safety practices.
“We’ve been super clear that we’re in favour of legislation, not only in a way that controls the potential effect that models can have on society but also legislation that can incentivise AI safety”.
Smith said OpenAI has a “deep partnership with the UK AI Safety Institute” to provide lawmakers with insights on how to implement best practices.
Smith acknowledged the challenge of readying regulators for AI policy, admitting it could take years before a fully-fledged AI regulator could be installed.
She, however, said for a sectoral approach to work, the government needs to release “streamlined guidance about the use of generative AI” that has been “customised for sector and specific department uses”.
“If every specific department goes on a nine to twelve-month journey to write a 60-page white paper, we’re going to be nowhere real fast, and people are just going to be making stuff up,” Smith said.
In July during the first King’s Speech under Keir Starmer’s premiership, Charles III said the government would “seek to establish the appropriate legislation to place requirements on those working to develop the most powerful artificial intelligence models”.
Though no specific bill was introduced, Labour has declared its intention to put together legislation in time that protects people from the harms of AI.