Aust.gov releases interim response on responsible AI

Depiction of AI cube

The AI-generated English translation of the speech given by Milei at the WEF is worth seeing.

HeyGen has created incredible tech. The lip synching is exceptionally good. The potential for ‘fraud & scams’ is high. The ‘Hi Mum scam’ was clever social engineering, but scammers will have the ability to literally put words in peoples mouths.    

This short video led me to reflect on two announcements released in the past week:

1.       The WEF Global Risks Report 2024 which designated ‘AI generated misinformation and disinformation’ as its number one risk for the next two years.  When I first read the report, my immediate reaction was ‘It’s a US election year, this is understandable.’  But after seeing the HeyGen Milei video, I admit to seeing the broader potential here to influence opinion and polarise communities. It will be problematic to trust any online or telephonic communication that is not self-initiated in the future.

2.       The Australian Government released its interim response to safe and responsible AI consultation, promoting a risk-based approach to AI usage, which aims to balance innovation and safeguards.

I support a risk-based approach. The interim response does well to acknowledge community concerns and covers a range of known AI risks such as bias, opacity, misinformation, and systemic risks (i.e. p (doom). That said, regulation and legislation will always lag innovation. Competition fears and the ‘AI Arms’ race will motivate government and industry to forge ahead.

There are no easy answers here.