DHS Rolls Out AI Safety Board, Yet Major Open-Source Celebrities Remain Mysteriously AWOL!
“DHS launches AI safety board but big open-source names absent”
“DHS, the Department of Homeland Security, is launching a new advisory board on AI safety. But disappointingly, the board is missing some of the most influential names in open source AI technology.”
With much fanfare and a dash of self-congratulation, the Department of Homeland Security has decided to dip its toes into the deep end of the AI swimming pool. Their recent announcement of forming an advisory board on AI safety appears, at first, like a step in the right direction. But hold off on the applause for a minute. Despite the grandeur of the announcement, it feels like the grand puzzle of AI safety is missing several key pieces.
Ideally, the advisory board on AI safety should comprise of the “who’s who” of AI and particularly the influential names of the open-source AI community. Unfortunately, the reality plays out differently. No Sir. The notable giants of open-source AI technology are ominously absent. A brain trust without the brains – how fascinating!
Perhaps DHS ran out of coveted golden invites. Or maybe they were mailed but got lost in the post. Whatever may be the case, the absence of experts from the influential names such as Google’s TensorFlow, Facebook’s PyTorch, and Microsoft’s Cognitive Toolkit is unsettling, to say the least.
Without knocking down the good intentions of the DHS, the question remains: how valuable is an AI safety board with a void of the big-tech intellect that has largely shaped the AI landscape? This board should be a formidable alliance of the brightest and the best, a powerhouse that embraces every facet of AI. Instead, we find ourselves wondering if the party has started before the guests have arrived.
Not that the opinions of the current board members are insignificant or ineffectual. But the punch only gets spiked when every flavor is added. Missing out on insights from big tech systems feels like having a jigsaw puzzle with the middle bit missing. You can’t appreciate the entire picture without all the pieces.
While the DHS should be lauded for taking a step forward in AI safety, it falls short of providing a comprehensive orientation to the subject matter. It’s like a giving a lecture on marine life, without discussing the Great White Shark – it gets the job done, sure, but you are missing out on a critical part of the story.
In a world where AI is becoming increasingly influential, having a well-rounded discussion or solution is paramount, and this should include representation from every responsible party. Especially those who are shaping the future of AI. Without this representation, it feels like the DHS’s endeavour may be a ship sailing without a compass.