The German Minister for Digital Affairs, Volker Wissing, of the FDP demands that this shouldn’t take years again. A legal framework must be created quickly.
There are calls in the German government to quickly create rules for the use of artificial intelligence (AI). Digital Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) told the newspaper “Bild am Sonntag” (“BamS”): “We have to react wisely now and regulate artificial intelligence sensibly before it’s too late for that. It mustn’t take years again.” He called for a legal framework to be created quickly in Europe.
The speech-imitating text machine ChatGPT, Google’s competitor software Bard and programs that can generate images based on text descriptions are currently causing a stir. At the same time, there are concerns that such AI-based technology could be misused to spread false information, for example.
A spokeswoman for the German Ministry of the Interior told the “Handelsblatt”: “It is essential to strike a balance between openness to innovation and a clear legal framework that defines standards for trustworthy AI.” It remains to be seen to what extent certification can play a role. As part of the EU regulation on AI regulation under discussion, the German government has advocated the use of certain high-risk AI – Make systems visible by public administration in a publicly accessible database. This means systems that could be used, for example, in the areas of border control or law enforcement – for example to predict the likelihood of crime.
Wissing told the “BamS” that a legal framework must ensure that the new Technology can only be used if it adheres to European values such as democracy, transparency and neutrality. “AI systems must not manipulate us, they must support us.” He also sees huge opportunities in the use of AI.
“Things like this could lead to war”
SPD leader Saskia Esken also pointed out the risks. With artificial intelligence, “absolutely real-looking images, audio and videos” can be created, but they are pure fakes. “For example, statements that seem authentic could be spread by politicians who never made them. This could lead to wars,” she said. It must be ensured that real recordings can be recognized as such – for example by a digital watermark.
At the same time, Esken countered fears that AI could ultimately result in lost jobs. “Everyone has that fear technological leapand yet so far more new jobs have been created than have been replaced.” In addition, there is already a major shortage of skilled workers.
The head of HR at the software group SAP, Sabine Bendiek, sees it similarly. She told the German Press Agency (dpa) that AI can make an enormous contribution to productivity and be a support for people. In this way, extremely monotonous, repetitive tasks could be taken over by AI. “Our employees can then really focus on using what makes people so strong: creativity and the ability to evaluate the results from a different perspective and implement them accordingly.”
(APA/DPA)