Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta Platforms, and Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, expressed their endorsement for government regulation of artificial intelligence following recent talks with European Commissioner Thierry Breton.
During a meeting on Friday, Breton remarked that he and Zuckerberg were largely “aligned” on the European Union’s regulatory framework for artificial intelligence, which is currently undergoing final negotiations. The two executives agreed on the EU’s risk-based regulatory approach, including initiatives such as watermarking for AI-generated content, according to Breton’s comments.
Altman echoed this sentiment, stating he supports the EU’s perspective on AI regulation. He emphasized, “I genuinely appreciate the European institutions for their proactive stance in taking this issue seriously, which also sets a precedent for the rest of the world.”
OpenAI, known for its widely-used chatbot ChatGPT, has prompted significant interest in generative AI technologies. Altman expressed a commitment to collaborating with European authorities to ensure compliance with local market requirements, saying, “We look forward to working with you to operate smoothly and offer a European service.”
Nick Clegg, Meta’s president of global affairs, remarked that Meta is in support of the goals outlined in the AI Pact. He acknowledged the need for further study on specifics but highlighted the importance of transparency and collaboration among tech firms, governments, and civil society regarding AI developments.
These discussions were part of Breton’s ongoing tour of technology companies. Following his meeting with Meta, he indicated that the company appears prepared to adhere to Europe’s stringent content moderation standards, although it will still face a stress test of its systems next month.
Meta provided substantial information regarding its compliance efforts with the EU’s Digital Services Act, with Breton mentioning they are keen to undergo a stress test to ensure no details are overlooked.
Zuckerberg agreed to participate in a mid-July test to evaluate how Meta aligns with content moderation regulations. Breton noted that Meta has around 1,000 employees dedicated to implementing the Digital Services Act.
Looking ahead, Zuckerberg expressed interest in testing Meta’s strategies for complying with future competition rules established by the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which will require companies to self-report as gatekeepers for certain core platform services by July 3.
Breton also urged Zuckerberg to enhance efforts in combating disinformation, particularly Russian narratives in Eastern European nations regarding the Ukraine conflict. He also addressed concerns raised by a Wall Street Journal report about child predators targeting children on Meta’s Instagram platform.
Clegg described the discussion as “constructive” in a tweet, announcing that Meta has invited Breton’s team to its Dublin campus to examine how they are stress-testing their processes in preparation for implementation.
In other engagements, Breton met with Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, a leading chipmaker in the AI sector. Following their conversation, Huang indicated to reporters that there is a strong possibility Nvidia will invest in Europe.
Earlier in the week, Breton also spoke with Twitter owner Elon Musk and the platform’s new CEO Linda Yaccarino. He advised that Twitter must allocate more resources to address sensitive content effectively in order to meet EU compliance requirements ahead of an upcoming August deadline.
© Thomson Reuters 2023
