By Sam Nusey
TOKYO (Reuters) – The CEO of ChatGPT maker OpenAI said on Monday that a tour of capitals had left him “quite optimistic” about the prospects for global coordination on artificial intelligence (AI).
The startup’s public face, backed by Microsoft Corp, has embarked on a whirlwind tour to capitalize on interest in generative AI and exert influence over regulation of the burgeoning technology.
“I came to the trip…skeptical of the near-term possibility of getting global cooperation to reduce existential risk, but I’m now ending the trip feeling pretty optimistic we can do it,” Sam Altman said. students in Tokyo.
Regulators are scrambling to adapt existing rules and create new guidelines to govern the use of generative AI, which can create text and images and is generating excitement and fear about its potential to reshape a wide range of industries.
The European Union is moving forward with its AI bill, which is expected to become law this year, while the United States is looking at adapting existing laws for AI rather than creating it of new legislation.
Altman visited Japan in April, meeting Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and saying he was considering opening an office in the country.
“All the conversations have progressed pretty well,” Altman said Monday, without providing details.
Japan is seen as a laggard in the kinds of AI services that consumers are currently excited about, even as its manufacturing heavyweights are investing in automation technology.
“There’s a long history of humans and machines working together here,” Altman said.
(Reporting by Sam Nussey and Tom Bateman; Editing by Christopher Cushing)