Google DeepMind CEO calls for U.S. to lead AI standards body

Google DeepMind chief Demis Hassabis has called for the United States to spearhead a new standards body. This organization would be tasked with testing new frontier artificial intelligence models and assessing potential national security risks, including cybersecurity and biological threats.

Hassabis, a Nobel laureate, stated on X that "urgent action" is needed to address the risks associated with artificial general intelligence (AGI), the point at which AI is expected to match or exceed human intelligence. He noted that "challenges frontier models pose for cybersecurity" have already been observed, and other threats like nuclear and bio risks may emerge as capabilities advance.

He proposed a U.S.-led public-private partnership, overseen by the federal government, as a solution. The suggestion comes amidst heightened competition between the U.S. and China in AI development and deployment. Hassabis believes the U.S. is well-positioned to lead the development of an AI framework due to its economic and technical standing.

Hassabis suggested modeling the body after FINRA, a self-regulatory organization for brokerage firms in the U.S., with a board comprising independent technical experts and open-source representatives. He indicated that the proposed body would require substantial funding from industry to attract top talent and provide necessary compute resources for large-scale testing.