Latest news with #ChrisLehane
Axios
25-03-2025
- Business
- Axios
OpenAI's Chris Lehane: "We're in a real race"
The winner of the AI race will make decisions that could set industry norms and influence global AI policy for years to come, OpenAI's chief global affairs officer, Chris Lehane, told Axios' Ina Fried Tuesday at the Axios What's Next Summit in Washington, D.C. Why it matters: Lehane says beating China in the AI race is so important that we should not tie the hands of AI makers by limiting their use of data under copyright laws that China won't observe. "Whoever ends up winning ends up building the AI rails for the world," Lehane said. Between the lines: Lehane argued that OpenAI plays a critical role in ensuring that the U.S. is leading in AI. The requirement to remain competitive in this space, Lehane told Fried, infuses every AI regulation debate right now. "There's a growing recognition and understanding that we do need to make sure that we are leading as a country on a U.S. competitiveness perspective," Lehane said. Zoom out: Lehane insisted that there are plenty of laws already on the books that govern what AI companies can and can't do. He said OpenAI and some of the other big tech companies are already doing everything they can to build models that align with the average person's top concerns about AI — protecting kids, limiting deepfakes, identifying AI-generated content. OpenAI has already struck licensing deals with publishers, including the Associated Press, Axel Springer and Axios, while pushing for a broader industry conversation around fair compensation and transparency. Zoom in: In a recent White House memo, Lehane and OpenAI argued that AI companies should be able to train their models on copyrighted material as a matter of national security and that the government should codify this right under the "fair use" principle. Asked about what material OpenAI trains its models on, Lehane said the company uses "data that is appropriately accessible and available," a common phrase used by AI companies to describe their broad use of internet data that might or might not be protected by copyright.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
AI has been beneficial for Pennsylvania state workers, Governor Shapiro says
(WHTM) — An AI pilot program working with ChatGPT had a positive impact on state workers, the Shapiro Administration said Friday. Governor Shapiro announced the results with leaders from OpenAI, Carnegie Mellon University, and Pennsylvania's labor community. The results of the Generative AI Pilot Program were that employees saved an average of about an hour and a half per day while using ChatGPT. The program was used for writing, research, summarization, and IT support. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Employee oversight was said to be very important during the pilot, which showed how it can help streamline government operations. 'Pennsylvania is leading the way in responsibly integrating AI into government by giving Commonwealth employees access to tools that enhance efficiency while ensuring people remain at the center of decision-making,' said Governor Shapiro. 'This pilot program showed that when used thoughtfully, generative AI can help employees save time, streamline processes, and improve services for Pennsylvanians. But let me be clear — AI will never replace our workers. Instead, we're equipping them with the best tools to do what they do best: get stuff done for Pennsylvanians.' The Shapiro Administration says they plan on expanding AI training opportunities, testing additional AI applications for improving customer service, legal analysis, and internal operations, and ensuring 'long-term AI governance.' 'This is the age of intelligence, where we can put capabilities in the hands of humans to solve hard problems that, just a decade ago, would have seemed like miracles in fields like science, healthcare, education, and government services. The story of America is about scaling innovations to create progress and productivity that everyone can participate in,' said Chris Lehane, OpenAI's Chief Global Affairs Officer. 'At our best, we are scaling freedoms — the freedom to learn, to think, to produce, and to create. And at the core of it all, it's about doing this for people. What's remarkable about this pilot program is that it's the first of its kind in the nation, where a state has thoughtfully brought AI into government to empower its workforce.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
OpenAI slams DeepSeek, warning the US government that China is catching up fast
In a letter to the US government, OpenAI slammed its fast-rising Chinese rival, DeepSeek. "While America maintains a lead on AI today, DeepSeek shows that our lead is not wide and is narrowing," OpenAI wrote. The letter also outlined policy recommendations to secure America's lead in AI. OpenAI has launched an attack on its fast-rising Chinese rival, DeepSeek. In a 15-page letter to the US government on Thursday, OpenAI called DeepSeek's latest model, R1, a "noteworthy" development — one that signals China's growing AI ambitions and underscores the tightening competition between the rival countries. "While America maintains a lead on AI today, DeepSeek shows that our lead is not wide and is narrowing," Chris Lehane, OpenAI's vice president of global affairs, wrote to the Office of Science and Technology Policy. Founded in 2023 by Chinese entrepreneur Liang Wenfeng, DeepSeek shook up the AI industry and the US stock market with its low-cost reasoning model, R1, unveiled in January. The company said its R1 model rivals top competitors, like ChatGPT's o1, but at a fraction of the cost. The company behind ChatGPT didn't hold back its criticism of the Chinese model. Lehane warned that using DeepSeek in critical infrastructure and other high-risk applications poses a "significant risk" because DeepSeek could be pressured by the Chinese government to manipulate its models. The US Navy has warned service members against using DeepSeek, and Taiwan banned it in government agencies in February over security concerns. "Because DeepSeek is simultaneously state-subsidized, state-controlled, and freely available, the cost to its users is their privacy and security," Lehane wrote. Lehane also said DeepSeek's AI is "more willing" to generate responses for illicit and harmful activities, including identity fraud and intellectual property theft. "The Chinese Communist Party views violations of American intellectual property rights as a feature, not a flaw," he wrote. Lehane warned that China would use AI as a geopolitical tool by offering DeepSeek to countries needing AI tools and infrastructure funding — a move aligned with its existing Belt and Road initiative. For over a decade, China has used this program to spend more than $1 trillion on infrastructure programs globally. OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman called DeepSeek's R1 an "invigorating" competitor in January, saying it would push his company to release "better models" faster. OpenAI's letter also outlined policy recommendations to secure America's lead in AI. The letter was written in response to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy's request for public input in February. In January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for the US to "sustain and enhance America's global AI dominance" while revoking the Biden administration's order demanding greater transparency from AI companies. His administration is now tasked with developing an AI Action Plan by July. Lehane on Thursday proposed a series of "freedom-focused" policies, including a regulatory strategy that would relieve American AI developers from complying with "overly burdensome state laws." The company also said the US government could make it easier for AI companies to train on copyrighted material, arguing that strict copyright laws could slow innovation and restrict access to training data. OpenAI and its peers have been criticized for using copyrighted content to train models. Authors and news outlets, including The New York Times, have sued OpenAI, saying the startup is breaking copyright law. Lehane proposed a copyright strategy that would protect creators' rights while safeguarding America's AI leadership and national security. "The federal government can both secure Americans' freedom to learn from AI, and avoid forfeiting our AI lead to the PRC by preserving American AI models' ability to learn from copyrighted material," he said. Read the original article on Business Insider
Daily Tribune
11-02-2025
- Business
- Daily Tribune
OpenAI says 'not for sale' after Musk's $97 bn bid
Email : editor@ Artificial intelligence developer OpenAI is "not for sale", a senior executive said Tuesday in response to a reported $97.4 billion bid from competitor Elon Musk. "OpenAI is not for sale and any such suggestion is really disingenuous," the company's Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane said on the sidelines of an AI summit in Paris, dismissing the offer as coming from a competitor "who has struggled to keep up with the technology and compete with us in the marketplace".
Khaleej Times
11-02-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
OpenAI says 'not for sale' after Musk's $97 billion bid
Artificial intelligence developer OpenAI is "not for sale", a senior executive said on Tuesday in response to a reported $97.4 billion bid from competitor Elon Musk. "OpenAI is not for sale and any such suggestion is really disingenuous," the company's Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane said on the sidelines of an AI summit in Paris, dismissing the offer as coming from a competitor "who has struggled to keep up with the technology and compete with us in the marketplace".
