Tech CEOs Pichai, Altman, Nadella and others join US government AI safety board

The chief executives of leading US technology companies are joining a new artificial intelligence safety board to advise the federal government on how to protect the nation’s critical services from “AI-related disruptions”.

Homeland security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced the new board, which includes key corporate leaders in AI development such as OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella, Google chief executive Sundar Pichai and Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang.

AI holds potential for improving government services but “we recognise the tremendously debilitating impact its errant use can have”, Mr Mayorkas told reporters.

Also on the 22-member board are the chief executives of Adobe, chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices, Delta Air Lines, IBM, Northrop Grumman, Occidental Petroleum and Amazon’s AWS cloud computing division.

Not included were social media companies such as Meta Platforms and X.

Corporate executives dominate, but it also includes civil rights advocates, AI scientist Fei-Fei Li, who leads Stanford University’s AI institute, as well as Maryland governor Wes Moore and Seattle mayor Bruce Harrell, two public officials who are “already ahead of the curve” in thinking about harnessing AI’s capabilities and mitigating risks, Mr Mayorkas said.

He said the board will help the Department of Homeland Security stay ahead of evolving threats.