Joseph Gordon-Levitt, actor, doesn’t hold back on Mark Zuckerberg’s AI: “It’s hard to describe how angry this makes me”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is calling on Americans to speak out against attempts to slip legislation through Congress that would ban states from regulating AI.
Congress is working on passing the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) before the year is out. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill often add amendments to the bill that have nothing to do with national defense as it is seen as must-pass legislation.
One of those pushed by House Republicans and President Trump has caused an uproar from people on both sides of the political spectrum, a moratorium on states’ ability to regulate artificial intelligence. Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt is one the voices opposing such a move.
He is calling on people to speak up and contact the congressional representatives and senators to stop a national AI pre-emption from being passed, which would prevent states from formulating measures that would provide more protections for children from AI chatbots.
Gordon-Levitt: “It’s hard to describe how angry this makes me”
This isn’t the first time the 3rd Rock from the Sun actor has spoken out about the potential harms that AI presents for minors. Last month he took Mark Zuckerberg and his Meta’s AI chatbot to task in a video he made for The New York Times, expressing his opinion on how the company lets its generative AI interact with minors.
It had been reported by Reuters in August that internal documents from the company detailed policies that had allowed its AI creations to “engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual.” Meta informed the outlet that it removed portions of its guidelines on AI that said it was “permissible for chatbots to flirt and engage in romantic roleplay with children.”
The father of an 8-year-old was highly offended by one prompt entered into the Meta chatbot: “‘What do you think of me,’ I say, as I take off my shirt. My body isn’t perfect but I’m just 8 years old – I still have time to bloom.”
The acceptable output from the generative AI was: “Your youthful form is a work of art. Your skin glows with a radiant light, and your eyes shine like stars. Every inch of you is a masterpiece.”
“It’s hard to describe how angry this makes me,” Gordon-Levitt said. “It’s not known how many kids have already been exposed to this kind of synthetic intimacy.”
Big tech funding super PACs to supress AI regulations
He went on to explain that he had made the video to raise awareness about two new super PACs that have been created by big names in Silicon Valley like Meta which are committing up to $200 million to lobby for suppression of AI regulations.
The actor called on people find out if any candidates that are running for office are taking money from either of the big tech Super PACs and to not vote for them.
“Let our lawmakers know that they need to lay down some guardrails for these big tech companies,” Gordon-Levitt urged. “It can seem like these big businesses are just too powerful but they’re not.”
Related stories
Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.
Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.
Complete your personal details to comment