kevin roose
Casey, I want to discuss a technology that I think is risky and should be regulated by the government.
casey newton
What are you referring to?
kevin roose
Dots.
casey newton
Dots? The Halloween candy?
kevin roose
Yes.
casey newton
I mean, they’re made of recycled plastic, so I don’t understand why they’re given to children. Have you ever tasted one? They’re terrible.
kevin roose
I actually have. When we were preparing for trick-or-treaters, my wife bought some Dots. I wouldn’t consider them a top-tier candy.
casey newton
Were all the other candy options sold out?
kevin roose
Yes, literally. Dots were the only thing left at Target. So we brought them home, and I decided to taste the candy, as one does. I bit into a Dot, and my tooth broke.
casey newton
(LAUGHING) Wait, the tooth didn’t come from the Dot, right?
kevin roose
Well, it was kind of mixed in with the Dot. I felt something hard in my mouth and realized I had broken my tooth on a Dot.
casey newton
No way!
kevin roose
Yes, unfortunately. I had to spend Halloween at the dentist’s office for emergency dental work.
casey newton
That’s terrible.
kevin roose
And I went trick-or-treating with half of my face numb. It was quite spooky.
casey newton
You could have dressed up as the Phantom of the Opera or any character with a mask that covers your face.
kevin roose
Exactly, it would’ve been fitting. People would’ve wondered who that drooling man accompanying a toddler was. So, it wasn’t a pleasant Halloween experience.
casey newton
It’s funny how every year there’s a panic about Halloween candy being dangerous, but we usually brush it off. But you actually had to get emergency dental work because of a candy incident.
kevin roose
Yes, it was a bad situation. These Dots are too sticky. Something needs to be done about it. I’m calling on the Biden administration to ban Dots.
casey newton
Where’s the executive order on that, Mr. President?
kevin roose
I’m Kevin Roose, tech columnist for “The New York Times.”
casey newton
And I’m Casey Newton from “Platformer.”
kevin roose
And this is “Hard Fork.”
casey newton
This week, I visited the White House to discuss the Biden administration’s new executive order on artificial intelligence. Then, copyright expert Rebecca Tushnet joins us to talk about significant developments in the legal battle between artists and AI companies. And finally, an invigorating round of Hat GPT.
kevin roose
Casey, did anything significant happen to you this week?
casey newton
Kevin, I had the opportunity to go to Washington, DC, to learn more about what’s happening in the country regarding artificial intelligence.
kevin roose
That’s exciting! You were invited to the White House to speak with officials about the new AI executive order. I’m a little jealous that I didn’t get an invite. How was the experience?
casey newton
Well, let me tell you about it. I went to the White House as a child on a school tour, but I don’t remember much. However, I do know a few things about the White House. It’s the residence of the President, and there’s the Oval Office and the West Wing. Oh, and there used to be a dog named Commander who bit people.
kevin roose
(Laughing) Did you get a commemorative dog bite?
casey newton
(Laughing) No, but I did see a portrait of Commander at the White House. It amused me.
kevin roose
So, amid the Halloween-themed chaos and the Multiverse of Madness at the White House, there was a signing ceremony with the President to enact the executive order?
casey newton
Absolutely! After conducting interviews at the executive office building, we went to the East Room of the White House. It was packed with industry professionals and advocates. President Biden, Vice President Harris, and even Senator Chuck Schumer were there.
kevin roose
It must have been a significant event. Now, let’s dive into the details of the executive order. I’ve read through it, and it’s quite extensive, covering various aspects of artificial intelligence.
casey newton
Indeed, the part that’s garnered the most attention is the regulation of next-generation models. While current models like GPT-4 are mostly excluded, any future models like GPT-5 or Claude 3 would fall under the requirements set by the executive order. This includes notifying the federal government about the model and disclosing safety tests conducted on it.
kevin roose
That’s a major development. The industry was taken by surprise, and there were uncertainties about which models would be affected and at what scale.
casey newton
Absolutely. This order introduces disclosure requirements that will impact the AI industry, ensuring transparency and safety measures. It’s a significant step forward.
