Pool Reports of April 4, 2023

In-town pool report #1: Brunch lid

Good morning. The White House called a brunch lid until 1:00 p.m.

In-town pool report #2: two-minute warning for briefing

We have a two-minute warning for the press briefing

In-town pool report #3: briefing concludes

The briefing began at 1:31 p.m. It concluded at 2:16. The pool is expected to gather at 2:35 for the president's meeting with his Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

In-town pool report #4: gathering for pool spray

The pool is gathering at the Palm Room doors ahead of the pool spray

In-town pool report #5: pool spray

The pool was brought into the State Dining Room at 2:59 pm.

POTUS was seated underneath the portrait of Lincoln and flanked by the members of his Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

Biden, who had a raspy voice, began by thanking the members of his council for joining him in person. He later said he was dealing with a cold.

More quotes to come, and as always, please check against transcript.

He said America is the only nation that could be defined by one word: "possibilities."

POTUS said his meeting today was to discuss AI's possibilities and risks.

"Tech companies have a responsibility to make sure their products are safe before making them public," he said.

When asked if AI was dangerous, he said, "It remains to be seen. Could be."

He ignored questions on Trump's indictment and Evan Gershkovich, the detained WSJ reporter

Pool was ushered out of State Dining Room at 3:02 pm

In-town pool report #6: Lid

The White House called a lid at 3:12 p.m.

In-town pool report #7: additional quotes

Here are some additional POTUS quotes. It was difficult, at times, to hear the president so please check against official White House transcript.

"Today we're going to discuss the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence. AI can help deal with some very difficult challenges like disease and climate change. But we also have to address the potential risks in our society, for our economy, for our national security."

"Last October, we proposed a bill of rights to ensure important protections that are built into the AI system from the start."

"I look forward to today's discussion about ensuring responsible innovation and appropriate guardrails, protecting Americans' rights and safety and protecting their privacy and to address the bias and misinformation that is possible as well."

"Tech companies have a responsibility, in my view, to make sure their products are safe before making them public."

"Social media has already shown us the harm the technology can do without the right safeguards in place."

"As I said in the State of the Union address to Congress, Congress needs to pass bipartisan privacy legislation that would impose strict limits on personal tech companies and all these things"

Also passing along from the White House:

The President is meeting with the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). The meeting will focus on the risks and opportunities that artificial intelligence (AI) technologies pose for individuals, society and national security. The President will discuss the importance of protecting rights and safety to ensure responsible innovation and appropriate safeguards. He will call on Congress to pass bipartisan privacy legislation to protect kids and limit personal data tech companies collect on all of us.

Participants

Arati Prabhakar, Co-Chair of PCAST, Assistant to the President & Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)

Frances H. Arnold, Co-Chair, Linus Pauling Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, and Biochemistry, California Institute of Technology

Maria T. Zuber, Co-Chair, Vice President for Research and E. A. Griswold Professor of Geophysics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Dan E. Arvizu, Chancellor, New Mexico State University

Frances Colón, Senior Director, International Climate, Center for American Progress

Lisa A. Cooper, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Equity in Health and Healthcare and Director of the Center for Health Equity, Johns Hopkins University

Andrea Goldsmith, Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and the Arthur LeGrand Doty Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Princeton University

Laura H. Greene, Chief Scientist, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University, University of Florida, and Los Alamos National Laboratory; Marie Krafft Professor of Physics, Florida State University

Eric Horvitz, Chief Scientific Officer, Microsoft

Steve Pacala, Frederick D. Petrie Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University

Vicki Sato, Professor of Management Practice (Retired), Harvard Business School

Lisa Su, President and CEO, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)

Kathy Sullivan, Former NASA astronaut and former NOAA Administrator

Terry Tao, Professor and the James and Carol Collins Chair in the College of Letters and Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles

Phil Venables, Chief Information Security Officer, Google Cloud

Cathie Woteki, Visiting Distinguished Institute Professor in the Biocomplexity Institute, University of Virginia, Professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Iowa State University