Even President Biden has tried ChatGPT
- President Joe Biden has tried out ChatGPT, Axios reports.
- Biden reportedly experimented with ChatGPT and was "fascinated" by the generative AI tool.
Buzz about ChatGPT is everywhere, and apparently President Joe Biden has even given the generative AI tool a try, Axios reports.
In a piece published Thursday, Axios wrote that the publication had learned Biden had tried out ChatGPT. He was "fascinated" by the AI chatbot, according to the report.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed at a Thursday press briefing that Biden has been "extensively briefed" on AI like ChatGPT and understands how they work.
Jean-Pierre said she has not asked Biden for his thoughts or what he asked the chatbot, but noted his interest underscores the fact that he and Vice President Kamala Harris see AI as "one of the most powerful technologies of our time."
However, she said the administration also wants to "mitigate the risk" of the harm the technology could cause.
Biden has previously spoken about AI, though it doesn't appear that he's name-dropped ChatGPT yet. In a meeting Biden held last month with his council of advisers on science and technology, he spoke about challenges and opportunities for AI.
"Tech companies have a responsibility in my view to make sure their products are safe before making them public," Biden said in an April video filmed during a meeting with his tech and science advisory council. "Social media has already shown us the harm that powerful technologies can do without the right safeguards in place."
"AI can help deal with some very difficult challenges like disease and climate change, but it also has to address the potential risks to our society, to our economy, to our national security," Biden told his advisors.
Alongside Biden's supposed ChatGPT experimentation, Vice President Kamala Harris and other White House officials met with some of Big Tech's leaders who are engaged in the AI race, including the CEOs of Alphabet, Anthropic, Microsoft, and OpenAI on Thursday.
Jean-Pierre confirmed during the Thursday briefing that Biden was present for at least part of the meeting between the CEOs and Vice President Harris. She said the fact that they were both involved shows how seriously the Biden administration takes AI.
The meeting was organized to address growing safety concerns around the AI technology, and discuss plans to address the future impacts of the technology, per a statement released by the White House.
Jean-Pierre said Harris and the officials had an "honest and frank conversation" with the executives, and told the companies they needed to be more transparent with policy makers and the American public about the safety and effectiveness of their technology.