Google CEO: "Pace of AI Technology Development... Now Is the Right Time to Introduce Regulation"

CBS '60 Minutes' Interview Appearance

Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who is competing with Microsoft (MS) in the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot arena, emphasized that appropriate regulations are needed to address potential issues arising from the adoption of AI technology.

On the 16th (local time), in an interview with CBS's "60 Minutes," Pichai said regarding the recent intense competition among AI chatbots, "We do not yet have all the answers, and the technology is advancing rapidly. So, we are losing sleep over it."

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google
Photo by AP News

Google unveiled its AI chatbot Bard last month. Pichai stressed that the company must take responsibility by, for example, partially refraining from releasing upgraded versions of Bard to allow society to adapt to AI technology and for the company to develop related countermeasures. This can be interpreted as meaning that companies themselves must control the pace to prevent problems during the rapid integration of technology into society.

Pichai pointed out that all company products will be affected by AI advancements and that society should prepare as if this technology has already been released and become widespread. He said that the labor market, including knowledge workers such as writers, accountants, architects, and software engineers, will experience significant disruption due to AI and must adapt accordingly.

Pichai also expressed concern that while AI can be deployed beneficially, it can simultaneously be very harmful to society if misused. When asked if society is ready to embrace AI technology at this point, he said, "There seems to be a mismatch because the speed at which technology is developed is not matched by the speed at which it is accepted as part of social institutions."

He evaluated that problems related to misinformation, fake news, and fake images caused by AI will become much larger and could cause societal issues. He added that consumer AI technology is still in its early stages, making it the right time for government intervention, emphasizing, "Regulation is necessary. Laws are needed."

Pichai pointed out that the development of such technology should involve not only engineers but also social scientists, ethicists, philosophers, and others to engage in discussions together.

Earlier, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 6th, when asked why Google did not release its chatbot earlier, Pichai said, "Google is still trying to find the right market," adding, "We continue to try to launch something, but the timetable can change considering the industry's circumstances."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.