ICYMI: President Biden Convenes Leading AI Experts and Researchers in San Franscisco, California

Yesterday, President Biden convened leading Artificial Intelligence (AI) experts and researchers in San Francisco, California, as part of the Biden-Harris Administration's ongoing commitment to seizing the opportunities and managing the risks posed by AI.

During the event, the President highlighted the urgency with which the Biden-Harris Administration has moved to address AI's enormous promise and risks and to protect Americans' rights and safety, including by convening the top CEOs of four American companies at the forefront of AI innovation, publishing a landmark Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, directing federal agencies through Executive Order to root out bias in the design and use of new technologies, including AI, and to protect the public from algorithmic discrimination, investing $140 million to establish 7 new National AI Research Institutes, bringing the total to 25 institutes across the country, and securing independent commitments from leading AI developers, among other actions.

Read coverage below:

Reuters: Biden says there is need to address security, economic risks posed by AI
[Trevor Hunnicutt, 6/20/23]

The risks of artificial intelligence to national security and the economy need to be addressed, U.S. President Joe Biden said on Tuesday, adding he would seek expert advice on the subject. "My administration is committed to safeguarding Americans' rights and safety while protecting privacy, to addressing bias and misinformation, to making sure AI systems are safe before they are released," Biden said at an event in San Francisco. […] Biden has also recently been discussing the issue of AI with other world leaders, including British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak whose government will later this year hold a first global summit on artificial intelligence safety. Biden is expected to discuss the topic with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his ongoing U.S. visit.

Associated Press: Biden discusses risks and promises of artificial intelligence with tech leaders in San Francisco
[Josh Boak, 6/20/23]

President Joe Biden convened a group of technology leaders on Tuesday to debate what he called the "risks and enormous promises" of artificial intelligence. The Biden administration is seeking to figure out how to regulate the emergent field of AI, looking for ways to nurture its potential for economic growth and national security and protect against its potential dangers. "We'll see more technological change in the next 10 years that we saw in the last 50 years," Biden said as the meeting with eight technology experts from academia and advocacy groups kicked off.

The Washington Post: Biden meets with tech company critics on AI
[Gerrit De Vynck and Cristiano Lima, 6/20/23]

President Biden on Tuesday met with a group of civil society leaders who've been critical of Big Tech companies in the past to discuss the boom in artificial intelligence, part of a broader push by the U.S. government to get involved in the conversation around AI tech and its potential risks. Biden, in brief remarks to reporters before the meeting in San Francisco, said that he was there to learn about the potential controls that could be put in place to protect people from the harms of the new tech. "Social media has already shown us the harm that powerful technology can do without the right safeguards in place," Biden said. "I'd like to hear more from this group because I have a lot to learn. And we also have a lot to discuss."

NBC News: Biden meets with AI experts in effort to manage its risks
[Michael Mitsanas and Rebecca Shabad, 6/20/23]

President Joe Biden met with artificial intelligence experts in San Francisco on Tuesday as part of his administration's efforts to manage the risks posed by AI. In brief remarks to reporters before the closed-door meeting, Biden said that he wanted to hear from the world's leading experts on the issue, which he said poses "enormous promise" and "risks." […] The Biden administration last year released a framework to mitigate threats posed by AI, and in February, Biden signed an executive order directing federal agencies to root out bias and promote equity in the design and use of new technologies, including AI.

CNBC: Biden to meet with A.I. experts in San Francisco
[Lauren Feiner, 6/20/23]

President Joe Biden will meet with with artificial intelligence experts in San Francisco on Tuesday as the U.S. government continues to grapple with how best to regulate the technology, according to a White House official. The visit comes as many in Washington are seeking to learn more about AI's risks and benefits for society so they don't repeat the mistakes around lack of early regulation on social media and other internet technologies.

CNN: From ChatGPT to executive orders: Inside the White House's urgent push to regulate AI
[Jeremy Diamond, 6/20/23]

After dropping by a meeting of leading AI CEOs at the White House last month, Biden on Tuesday met with a group of AI experts and academics in San Francisco to get a non-industry perspective on the risks and opportunities of AI. "I want to hear directly from the experts, and these are some of the world's leading experts on this issue," Biden said, noting that he hopes to hear about the "risks" and "promise" of artificial intelligence. He added that Vice President Kamala Harris will hold a summit on artificial intelligence next month focused on consumer protection. Officials say they have been urgently laying the groundwork for several policy actions that will be unveiled this summer – including executive orders – to maximize the effect of existing regulations on AI, harness its potential and establish new guardrails for the booming, multi-faceted technology.

Politico: Biden staff are meeting regularly to develop AI strategy, White House says
[Andrew Zhang, 6/20/23]

The White House chief of staff's office is meeting multiple times a week to develop ways for the federal government to ensure the safe use of artificial intelligence, the Biden administration said on Tuesday. […] "We'll see more technological change in the next 10 years than we've seen in the last 50 years, and maybe beyond that. And AI is already driving that change in every part of American life," President Joe Biden said on Tuesday afternoon from San Francisco, where he met with academics and experts to discuss both positive and negative consequences of AI. "We need to manage the risks to our society, to our economy and our national security."

Axios: Biden heading west to talk AI
[Ashley Gold, 6/20/23]

President Biden will meet with AI experts and researchers in San Francisco Tuesday as part of a process to "rapidly develop decisive actions we can take over the coming weeks," per a White House announcement. Driving the news: Biden will meet with experts on "seizing the opportunities posed by AI and managing the risks," per announcement, one of several high-level meetings the administration has had on AI this year.

Los Angeles Times: In San Francisco, Biden says AI has 'enormous promise' but comes with risks
[Queenie Wong, 6/20/23]

President Biden said Tuesday that artificial intelligence has "enormous promise" but that it also comes with risks such as fueling disinformation and job losses — dangers his administration wants to tackle. Biden, meeting in San Francisco with AI experts, researchers and advocates, said the technology is already driving "change in every part of American life, often in ways we don't notice." AI helps people search the internet, find directions — and has the potential to disrupt how people teach and learn. "In seizing this moment, we need to manage the risks to our society, to our economy and our national security," Biden said to reporters before the closed-door meeting with AI experts at the Fairmont Hotel.

The Hill: Biden to meet with AI experts on managing risks
[Alex Gangitano, 6/20/23]

President Biden on Tuesday will meet with artificial intelligence (AI) experts and researchers in San Francisco about managing the risks of the new technology. […] The White House has said that AI is a top priority for the president. White House chief of staff Jeff Zients "is overseeing a process to rapidly develop decisive actions" on AI to take over the coming weeks, the official said.

MarketWatch: Biden, AI experts discuss technology's risks, opportunities at San Francisco summit
[Jon Swartz, 6/20/23]

President Joe Biden is currently meeting with AI experts and researchers in San Francisco on how to manage the opportunities and the risk of AI on jobs, children, bias and prejudice, and information as the government considers legal guardrails such as regulation for the fast-developing technology. […] Biden met with some of Big Tech's loudest critics, including Jim Steyer, founder of Common Sense Media; Tristan Harris, a former Google product manager and design ethicist who is executive director and co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology; and Algorithmic Justice League Founder Joy Buolamwin. Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom sat next to Biden.

Engadget: President Biden meets with AI tech leaders in San Francisco
[Andrew Tarantola, 6/20/23]

While lawmakers in the House (and soon, the Senate) call for a "blue-ribbon commission" to study the potential impacts of AI on American society, President Biden on Tuesday met with leaders in the emerging field to discuss and debate the issue directly. The President met with Tristan Harris, executive director of the Center for Human Technology; Fei-Fei Li, Co-Director of Stanford's Human-Centered AI Institute; and Jennifer Doudna, Professor of Chemistry at UC Berkeley, among others, at the Fairmont hotel in San Francisco. […] The White House announced a $140 million investment in May to establish seven new National AI Research Institutes and has begun investigating the technology's use in business.

UPI: Biden to meet with tech industry execs in California on dangers of AI
[A.L. Lee, 6/20/23]

President Joe Biden will kick off a second day of campaign stops in Silicon Valley Tuesday, meeting with artificial intelligence developers in San Francisco in a growing push to quickly regulate the new technology. The president, who will be in California through Wednesday, was expected to discuss risk management with computing experts and several big tech executives who will be responsible for building and implementing AI functions in the nation's major industries. Biden has made AI regulation one of his top priorities in recent months, with White House staff meeting on the topic several times per week in an effort to win fresh commitments from leading developers to limit AI and keep it from being used at its full potential.

Investopedia: Biden Talks to AI Researchers as Public Support for Regulation Grows
[Terry Lane, 6/20/23]

President Joe Biden is meeting with several artificial intelligence (AI) researchers in San Francisco today, amid growing talk of if and how the rapidly developing technology should be regulated. Biden's meetings will focus on the benefits and risks of the technology and come after Vice President Kamala Harris met with CEOs of top AI companies at the White House in May. The administration is looking to get more information on whether or not regulations may be needed. The White House could take action as soon as this week, according to one White House official.

Washington Examiner: Biden tacks meeting with AI experts on to California tour
[Christian Datoc, 6/20/23]

President Joe Biden will meet with a group of artificial intelligence experts and researchers Tuesday in San Francisco as the administration sprints to address questions and fears about the new technology. […] In recent weeks, the Biden White House has rolled out several AI initiatives, including a comprehensive "Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights" and an executive order directing the federal government to "root out bias" in existing and new AI tools. The Biden administration has also invested $360 million to stand up 18 National AI Research Institutes.

The Mercury News:President Biden visits Bay Area, uses social media as cautionary tale to guide AI laws
[Elissa Miolene and Ethan Baron, 6/20/23]

The White House this week called addressing the effects and future of AI a "top priority" for Biden and pledged "decisive actions we can take over the coming weeks." The administration's "Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights" highlights both "deeply harmful" potential effects along with potential "extraordinary benefits." The document focuses on promoting safe and effective applications of the technology, data privacy, protection from discrimination, and transparency to the public.

San Francisco Chronicle: California leaders ask Biden to create a 'moonshot moment' to regulate AI
[Joe Garofoli, 6/20/23]

"In seizing this moment, we need to manage the risks for our society, for our economy and for our national security." […] "I have a lot to learn and we also have a lot to discuss," Biden said. […] After the meeting, several participants, including Rob Reich, professor of political science at Stanford University, described Biden as being "very engaged" and said he asked good questions.

SFGate: President Joe Biden Meets With Silicon Valley Experts On Ai Technology Safeguards
[Olivia Wynkoop, 6/20/23]

President Joe Biden attended a San Francisco meeting with leading technology experts on Tuesday to discuss his administration's efforts to initiate safeguards on artificial intelligence. Biden, speaking at the Fairmont San Francisco hotel, said AI has already helped Americans in a myriad of ways, like finding more relevant search results on the internet and directing us away from congested traffic areas when using GPS services. "AI is going to change the way we teach, learn and solve challenges like disease and climate change, and give time to focus on the things that matter most to us personally," Biden said.

CBS Bay Area: Biden discusses 'enormous promise and risks' from AI in forum with tech leaders
[Maddie Gannon, 6/20/23]

"AI is already making it easier to search the internet, helping us drive to our destinations while avoiding traffic in real time, AI is going to change the way we teach, learn and help solve challenges like disease and climate change," Biden said. Recently, Biden has put increased attention on AI, which he said on Tuesday brings "enormous promise and risks." The administration is working to figure out how to regulate the field while nurturing its potential. […] In May, Biden met with tech CEOs at the White House to discuss AI and the topic played a large role in conversations between Biden and U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during the pair's recent meeting in Washington. The U.K. is preparing to host a summit on AI in the fall.

San Francisco Examiner: Biden talks AI benefits, risks with SF tech leaders
[Andrew Fortin-Caldera, 6/20/23]

"We'll see more technological change in the next 10 years than we've seen in the last 50 years," Biden said. "AI is already driving that change in every part of the American life, often in ways we don't notice." The president said at the meeting that AI has enhanced and made easier a number of modern tasks, citing the applications of the technology in teaching, internet searches and vehicle systems. However, Biden also pointed to social media as an example of "the harm powerful technology can do without the right safeguards in place."

KGO (ABC SF Bay Area, CA): President Biden meets with AI experts in San Francisco
[Gloria Rodríguez and Zach Fuentes, 6/20/23]
"He's been clear from the beginning that this is one of the most powerful technologies of our time," [Dr. Prabhakar] said, "That means that if we're going to seize its considerable benefits, we have to start by managing its risks." […] At the Tuesday meeting, Biden touted work his administration has already done as it relates to AI. "Last October, we proposed an AI Bill of Rights to ensure that important protections were built into the AI systems from the very start," he said, "Earlier this year, I signed an executive order to direct my cabinet to root out bias in the design and use of AI and in May, we announced a new strategy for funding to respond for responsible AI development."

The Center Square: Biden meets with AI leaders to discuss its 'enormous promise and its risks'
[Casey Harper, 6/20/23]

"AI is already driving that change in every part of American life, often in ways that we don't notice," Biden said. "AI is already making it easier to search the internet, helping us drive to our destinations while avoiding traffic in real time." Biden gave a nod to the "risks to our society, our economy and our national security." In October of last year, Biden released an "AI Bill of Rights." He also signed an executive order earlier this year to fight "bias" in the design of AI.