Shocking no one, there’s a ton of AI stuff again.
In big dumb news, the New York Times has a great story about a lawyer who used ChatGPT to help create a 10-page brief…. Which cited more than half a dozen relevant court decisions. Martinez v. Delta Air Lines, Zicherman v. Korean Air Lines, and Varghese v. China Southern Airlines, with its learned discussion of federal law and “the tolling effect of the automatic stay on a statute of limitations.” None were real. The lawyer’s claimed he had never used ChatGPT and “therefore was unaware of the possibility that its content could be false.”
And a judge in Texas has added a requirement that any attorney appearing in his court must attest that “no portion of the filing was drafted by generative artificial intelligence,” or if it was, that it was checked “by a human being.”
That lawyer isn’t alone – Checkr has data released last week noting that 85% of American workers have used AI tools to perform tasks at work. 69% of American workers said they either agree or are on the fence about being afraid to tell their managers about AI use for fear of being replaced by the tools they’re using. 57% of American workers said they would cut pay in exchange for an AI-enabled four-day workweek.
But before you think it’s all bad, let me quote Semafor: A new superbug-killing antibiotic was discovered using artificial intelligence. Abaucin destroys the bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii, which is resistant to most existing antibiotics and designated a “critical” threat by the World Health Organization. The AI studied existing antibiotics, then was given a list of 6,000 other compounds and told to find some that could attack A. baumannii. In 90 minutes, it returned a shortlist that scientists tested.
The channel is interested, too — globally, 47% of IT and tech resellers expect customer interest in AI to accelerate, according to the report, with half (51%) actively working to bring related skill sets into their workforces. Half (50%) of U.S. respondents anticipated AI and automated services would continue to be a revenue stream of interest to their customers in 18 months.
And if you’re interested in knowing what Amazon is up to, their Generative AI Sales Playbook, a 12=page document, was obtained by Insider. The sales playbook’s primary goal is to “inspire customers to leverage Generative AI technology within their products, content, and customer experiences” instead of selling one specific product.
On the regulation front, OpenAI is warning the EU that it might pull its services due to the EU AI Act. A primary concern was that systems like ChatGPT would be designated “high risk” under the EU legislation. This means OpenAI would have to meet several safety and transparency requirements.
A new set of frameworks from the Biden administration to help codify responsible and effective AI algorithm usage, development, and deployment, absent federal law. The three announcements include a new roadmap of priority R&D areas in the AI sector for federal investments, a public request for information on how the federal government can best mitigate AI system risk, and an analysis documenting the benefits and dangers of AI technologies in education. Microsoft also released a new report offering five guidelines for governments to consider.
Why do we care?
The lawyers versus the scientists here encapsulate what you need to know. The lawyer who mindlessly trusted the AI and did no verification showed the wrong way to use the tools. The research team who use it to narrow down the options for testing are spot on with how the technology works best. And right there is the space for guidance for customers. Borrowing from Amazon’s sales playbook, it’s about leveraging the technology while being practical and considering it.
It’s why I include details of the frameworks being produced. They’re the guidance to apply to customers and use a process, not just the technology. Compelling offerings will include guardrails to reduce negative consequences. Don’t wait for regulation, yet leverage the work being done.