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IBM, Meta and Others Launch AI Safety Alliance
On Tuesday, IBM and Meta announced a new alliance of over 50 members from the worlds of industry, government and education to focus on promoting and developing alternatives to closed AI systems.
The AI Alliance, which also includes other heavy hitters like Intel, Oracle, AMD Â Dell and the Linux Foundation, aims to provide users and organizations with choices when it comes to generative AI systems -- a market that has early been dominated by Microsoft and Google -- and will "start or enhance" AI-based projects and technology that align with safety and transparency. Per an announcement by IBM:
The AI Alliance is focused on fostering an open community and enabling developers and researchers to accelerate responsible innovation in AI while ensuring scientific rigor, trust, safety, security, diversity and economic competitiveness. By bringing together leading developers, scientists, academic institutions, companies and other innovators, we will pool resources and knowledge to address safety concerns while providing a platform for sharing and developing solutions that fit the needs of researchers, developers and adopters around the world.
The alliance announced a handful of goals, which include:
- Creating and deploying global benchmarks, resources and standards to foster responsible AI development and adoption.
- Advancing an ecosystem of open source AI models that come from a diverse community and has a strong focus on education and climate responsibility.
- Supporting AI hardware growth for users and fostering general AI education for users, developers and researchers.
- Advancing efforts to encourage safe and open development of AI-based technologies.
"AI progress that drives real value for humanity can only happen with open innovation and in open ecosystems," said Dell's Jeff Boudreau, Chief AI Officer. "The AI Alliance is a positive step in making sure a diverse set of voices are collaborating transparently for the benefit of all."
According to a joint message by IBM and Meta, the initial steps of the alliance will be to create member working groups to focus on further defining targeted goals, establish both a governing body and an oversight committee and start to craft universal standards, guidelines and recommendations.
This week's announcement is just the next step in efforts from both public and private bodies, as well as government entities, to address the emerging concerns of a growing AI landscape. Last week, 18 countries, led by the U.S. and U.K., signed a pact aimed at creating a set of safety guidelines and best practices for the development of AI-based technology.