The Australian government has released an interim response to the Safe and Responsible AI in Australia for consultation. A news release revealed it is working to make sure that artificial intelligence (AI) is being utilized in a safe and responsible manner.
Per the Press release, the consultation has taken into consideration the potential of AI in improving the wellbeing and growth of the economy of the country. However, the new technology also implies a need for stronger protections to mitigate potential risks.
The government’s response is targeting the use of AI in high-risk scenarios, where potential harm may be challenging to rectify, the Press release said. In addition, the government would like to ensure that the vast majority of low-risk AI applications continue to flourish.
The government said it is now considering implementing mandatory guardrails for AI development and deployment in high-risk settings. This may involve amending existing laws or formulating new, AI-specific legislation, the Press release said.
Among the immediate actions being taken to address concerns behind the use of AI are the following:
Establishing mandatory guardrails to promote safe design, development, and deployment of AI systems will be considered, the Press release said. This may mean establishing requirements, such as in: testing, ensuring the safety of products pre- and post-release; transparency, disclosing model design and underlying data for AI applications, along with labelling or watermarking of AI systems and content; and accountability, including developer and deployer training, certifications, and setting defined expectations for organizations involved in AI systems.
Per the Press release, the government is closely observing similar efforts being undertaken in the EU, the US, and Canada. The government is also working with other countries as with its participation at the UK AI Safety Summit in November.
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