Royal Hansen, vice president of privacy, safety and security engineering at Google, weighs in on the push to slow AI development, whether the U.S. is equipped to win the AI race on the energy front and the next frontier for innovation.
Google executive Royal Hansen responded to some lawmakers’ calls to slow the development of artificial intelligence (AI) in the U.S., emphasizing the need to develop and use the technology responsibly rather than fall behind other countries.
“It’s really… this idea of being responsible as we invest in and develop AI because there’s a lot of upside to using AI well, whether it’s in energy production or healthcare or science,” he told “The Sunday Briefing.”
“But in cybersecurity,” he continued, “it’s an area where we need to keep people safe, help people learn to use AI well at the same time.”
THE NEW ARMS RACE IS FOR COMPUTE — AND AMERICA CAN’T AFFORD TO FALL BEHIND
This undated photo taken at an undisclosed location shows a protester holding an anti-AI sign. (iStock / iStock)
Hansen later pointed to energy as a major focus area for AI development, citing the “Genesis Mission,” an ongoing collaboration between technology companies, the Department of Energy and the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).
The initiative, signed by President Donald Trump last month, aims to accelerate AI use for scientific research.
“I think [it’s] a great example of that intersection between AI and energy,” Hansen said.
TRUMP, MCCORMICK TO UNVEIL $90B ENERGY AND INNOVATION INVESTMENT IN PENNSYLVANIA
Google headquarters in Mountain View, California. (Marlena Sloss/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
“They [federal agencies] have the national labs, which are some of the best scientists on the planet. If we can work with AI and technologies like quantum as it becomes available to solve some of these energy problems, it actually can become a really nice virtuous cycle where we improve science, we improve energy and we, as American innovation, win.”
Hansen also pointed to cybersecurity as another area where AI is already being deployed defensively, noting that while attackers are increasingly using the technology, companies are developing AI-powered tools to protect systems at scale.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
Traba founder and CEO Mike Shebat explains how his company helps industrial firms meet seasonal hiring demands by using artificial intelligence to match qualified workers in hours on ‘The Claman Countdown.’