The Wednesday summit focused broadly on potential harms and benefits of AI, according to comments from attendees.
The attendees did not reach clear consensus on how to regulate AI and which agency should be responsible for the new technology.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who convened the AI Insight Forum, said more than 60 senators attended. The 22-person panel included Altman, Musk, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Schumer touted the attendance as an indicator of the broad, bipartisan interest in understanding and crafting AI regulation.
“This was an amazing and historic experience,” Schumer told reporters.
Schumer said everyone in the room raised their hands when asked whether the government should regulate AI.
“That gives us a message here. We have to try to act, as difficult as the process may be.”
Musk, speaking to reporters following a meeting with Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) after the Senate forum, said there should be “some regulatory structure” on AI.
“Generally when there’s something which is a potential danger to the public you want to have some public oversight,” he said.
Zuckerberg and Pichai also said Congress has an important role to play on AI regulation, according to copies of their forum comments released by company spokespeople.
Zuckerberg told senators Congress “should engage with AI to support innovation and safeguards.”
“This is an emerging technology, there are important equities to balance here, and the government is ultimately responsible for that,” Zuckerberg said.
Read more about the forum in a full report at TheHill.com.
