Critics argue that the focus on future risks of AI serves the interests of top tech companies by distracting policymakers from existing AI harms. RAND's CEO Jason Matheny and senior information scientist Jeff Alstott, both known effective altruists, have ties to the Biden administration. They, along with other RAND personnel, were involved in drafting the reporting requirements and other parts of the AI executive order. However, concerns have been raised about RAND's association with effective altruism and its potential influence on the think tank's objectivity.
Key takeaways:
- The RAND Corporation, a think tank backed by tech billionaires, played a significant role in drafting President Joe Biden's executive order on artificial intelligence (AI), according to an AI researcher and a recording of an internal RAND meeting.
- The provisions advanced by RAND included a set of reporting requirements for powerful AI systems, aligning with the policy priorities of Open Philanthropy, a group that donated over $15 million to RAND this year.
- Open Philanthropy, financed by Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz and his wife Cari Tuna, is a major funder of causes associated with 'effective altruism', an ideology that emphasizes a data-driven approach to philanthropy and is increasingly focused on AI's potential risks.
- There are concerns that RAND's association with effective altruism could undermine its reputation for rigorous and objective analysis, with some employees questioning the think tank's relationship with Open Philanthropy and its influence on AI policy.