According to Cointelegraph, OpenAI, the company behind the ChatGPT chatbot, has expressed support for a new bill that proposes labeling content generated with artificial intelligence (AI). OpenAI's chief strategy officer, Jason Kwon, has endorsed bill AB 3211, which would require watermarks in the metadata of AI-generated photos, videos, and audio clips. This information was reported by Reuters on August 26.
Kwon believes that marking AI-made material will help users differentiate such content from human-made content, particularly amid growing misinformation about political candidates. He stated that new technology and standards can help people understand the origin of content they find online and avoid confusion between human-generated and photorealistic AI-generated content. Other supporters of AB 3211 reportedly include Microsoft and Adobe.
The new reports indicate that OpenAI has voiced support for California’s AB 3211 AI bill, following the company's previous opposition to another AI-related bill, SB 1047. Introduced on February 7, SB 1047 would mandate that AI developers conduct safety testing on some of their own models. It was proposed by California State Senator Scott Wiener and co-authored by senators Richard Roth, Susan Rubio, and Henry Stern. On the other hand, AB 3211—introduced by California State Assemblymember Buffy Wicks on February 16—is focused on requiring labeling of AI-generated content.
In another letter to Wiener and California Governor Gavin Newsom on August 21, OpenAI’s Kwon warned about the possible negative implications of SB 1047. He argued that SB 1047 would stifle innovation and called on the United States to provide clarity for AI developers while preserving public safety. Kwon wrote that SB 1047 would threaten growth, slow the pace of innovation, and lead California’s world-class engineers and entrepreneurs to leave the state in search of greater opportunity elsewhere.
California state lawmakers attempted to introduce 65 bills touching on AI this legislative season. Some of those initiatives include measures to ensure that all algorithmic decisions are proven unbiased and protect the intellectual property of deceased individuals from exploitation by AI companies. According to records from the nonprofit news organization CalMatters, AB 3211 passed the second reading on August 26 and is now ordered to the third reading. If it passes by the end of the legislative session on August 31, it would advance to Governor Newsom to sign or veto by September 30.
Cointelegraph approached OpenAI for a comment regarding AB 3211 but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
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