The National Telecommunications and Information Administration is seeking public feedback on the risks and benefits of “open-weight” artificial intelligence models.
NTIA on Wednesday issued a request for comment to aid in the development of policies on AI models with widely available weights, which are numerical values that help determine the strength of an AI system’s neural network.
The agency is interested in industry input on the benefits of closed AI models in comparison to varying openness of such designs. It also wants to understand the consequences of making AI model weights more open, in terms of innovation, competition, trustworthiness, equity and national security.
“AI is an accelerator – it has the potential to make people’s existing capabilities better, faster, and stronger. In the right hands, it carries incredible opportunity, but in the wrong hands, it can pose a threat to public safety,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Today, NTIA is inviting public feedback about how widely available access to model weights may impact our society and our national security. This is an important piece of the President’s Executive Order and an early step toward ensuring safety, security, and trust in these systems.”
The Potomac Officers Club will gather officials from CIA, the Department of Homeland Security, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and other government entities to participate at its fifth annual Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 21. Register now to join experts and leaders in discussing the future of AI in government contracting.