U.S. Presidential Election 2024: Kamala Harris Addresses AI and Big Tech Issues
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris may be set to become the Democratic presidential nominee in the upcoming November election. Known for her outspoken stance on artificial intelligence (AI), Harris has expressed concerns about the “existential” threat AI poses, warning that it could “endanger the very existence of humanity” in a November 2023 speech.
During a meeting with tech leaders such as Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, and Alphabet’s Sundar Pichai, Harris emphasized their “moral” responsibility to mitigate AI’s potential risks. She supported an executive order from President Joe Biden aimed at enhancing consumer protections against AI-related issues, including AI-generated scam calls and the spread of unlabelled AI content.
Before joining the Biden administration, as California Attorney General, Harris took legal action against eBay for anticompetitive hiring practices related to a no-poaching agreement with Intuit, resulting in a nearly $4 million settlement in 2014. She also sued Houzz, leading the startup to appoint a chief privacy officer after it was accused of recording sales calls without proper consent.
Additionally, Harris has been active in combating the distribution of “revenge porn” on social media. She spearheaded a campaign that pressured platforms like Facebook, Google, and Microsoft to take measures against the sharing of explicit images without consent.