Elon Musk warns AI needs 'a referee' after closed door US Capitol Hill meeting

At a forum organized by the US Senators at Capitol Hill on September 13, tech billionaire Elon Musk and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt underscored the existential risks posed by Artificial Intelligence (AI), with Musk insisting that the AI possibly needs a "referee." Meta's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg raised concerns about the closed vs. "open source" AI models that need safety bolts in place. Musk emphasized the possibility of humans losing total control of the advanced AI systems if safety measures weren't implemented for their use. 

“The key point was really that it’s important for us to have a referee,” said Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and X, during break at forum. “It was a very civilized discussion, actually, among some of the smartest people in the world.”

Top entrepreneurs and tech billionaires including SpaceX, Tesla and X Corp CEO Elon Musk, Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai met with the US Senators at Capitol Hill earlier yesterday on Wednesday, September 13. They held a closed-door meeting, wherein they discussed how Congress must deal with artificial intelligence (AI) and instate safeguards against its dangerous and rampant usage. 

Elon Musk and Palantir Technologies CEO at the Capitol Hill meeting. Credit: AP

"For Congress to legislate on artificial intelligence is for us to engage in one of the most complex and important subjects Congress has ever faced," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was quoted as saying. 

Tech entrepreneurs endorse idea of US government regulations on AI

All the tech executives roughly endorsed the idea of US government regulations on the use of artificial intelligence (AI). However, there was little consensus on what those regulations should be. The tech entrepreneurs discussed the risks posed by AI in the closed door meeting at the Senate and insisted that it may be yet another challenge to impose political legislation on the advanced cyber technology.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg arrives at Capitol Hill. Credit: AP

While no executives or Senators present at the forum divulged key details about the discussions that took place inside the Capitol, X CEO Musk told reporters after the meeting that it "might go down in history as being very important for the future of civilization." He stressed that the US lawmakers agreed that AI needs to be regulated but may not know yet "the how." 

US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who organized the private meeting in an effort to legislate artificial intelligence, was reported saying that everyone in the room, including almost two dozen tech executives, advocates and sceptics, agreed that the government must have a role to play in the oversight of artificial intelligence (AI). 

Google CEO Sundar Pichai arrives at Capitol Hill for the meeting. Credit: AP

"Every single person raised their hands, even though they had diverse views,"  said Schumer. The latter revealed that the tech executives acknowledged that there must be some form of an independent agency to oversee the usage of AI and the risks posed by the advanced technology for humanity. They also pushed for the firms to be more transparent, and discussed ways to stay ahead of China and other competitive nations. 

"The key point was really that it's important for us to have a referee," Elon Musk reportedly said during the break.. "It was a very civilized discussion, actually, among some of the smartest people in the world."

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. Credit: AP

The concerns about AI were sparked after the release of ChatGPT less than a year ago. Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota, who was present at the meeting with Schumer, insisted that the US Congress is trying to get ahead of the fast-moving AI and is trying to ensure that the technology develops "on the positive side."