White House says there’s no need to restrict ‘open’ AI

The White House is championing open-source artificial intelligence technology, arguing in a report released Tuesday that there is currently no need to impose restrictions on companies that widely share key components of their powerful AI systems.

“We recognize the importance of open systems,” Alan Davidson, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, told The Associated Press.

Last year, President Joe Biden issued a sweeping executive order on artificial intelligence, giving the U.S. Commerce Department until July to talk to experts and make recommendations on how to manage the potential benefits and risks of so-called open models.

The report is the first from the U.S. government to delve into the tech industry debate between developers like ChatGPT creator OpenAI, which has advocated for locking down the internals of its models to protect against abuse, and others like Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who has lobbied for a more open approach that they say fosters innovation.

“A year ago, there was a strong narrative about the risks and long-term concerns that AI systems were too powerful,” said Davidson, administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. “We still have concerns about AI security, but this report reflects a more balanced view that shows there are real benefits to making these technologies open.”

The NTIA report says “current evidence is not sufficient” to support restrictions on AI models with “publicly available weights.” Weights are numerical values that affect how an AI model performs. But it also says U.S. officials must continue to monitor potential threats and “take steps to ensure the government is prepared to act if increased risks arise.”

Although the report was published last fall, its release on Tuesday comes as AI policy has become a focus of U.S. electoral politics in the presidential race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.

Trump’s vice presidential nominee, Senator J.D. Vance, has previously expressed strong support for open-source AI, warning that big tech CEOs are pushing for regulations that could entrench their existing positions.