SUMMARY
President Trump has rejected calls for greater oversight of artificial intelligence despite the dire warnings of some in the industry. The president's pushback came after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei published an essay arguing for a slowdown across leading AI companies, warning rapid advances in the technology now pose an existential threat to society. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Stephen Witt.
View the transcript of the story.
NOTE: If you are short on time, watch the video and complete this See, Think, Wonder activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What do you want to learn more about? You can also make a Google doc copy of these general discussion questions.
News alternative: Check our recent segments from the News Hour and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. See the Google doc above for discussion questions.
WARM-UP QUESTIONS
- Who is Dario Amodei, and what is his background?
- How is AI "escaping containment" according to Amodei?
- Why does Trump not want to slow down on AI through additional regulation?
- What are some of the groups or organizations that want stronger AI regulations in place?
- When did Jacob Coxon leave his job, and why?
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
- An IPO (Initial Public Offering) is when a private business sells its stocks to the general public for the first time. Anthropic is preparing a $1-2 trillion IPO, yet, like other companies, want regulation. Why do you think they are calling for regulation shortly before their IPO? And why are some other companies against regulation?
- Why do you think guardrails for AI are difficult to implement right now? What does this say about the country's priorities?
Media literacy: How do you think tech companies responsible for AI development use the media to further the interests of their companies?
WHAT STUDENTS CAN DO
Watch this video of PBS news anchors interviewing former Anthropic employee, Jacob Coxon.
After watching the video, answer these questions:
- How do you feel after this interview?
- Did you learn anything new? Did you already know or expect certain ideas or themes?
- Are there any questions you would have liked to ask Jacob? If so, what?
Written by PBS News Hour Classroom's Intern Sophia Sharaa with editing from News Hour Classroom's Luke Gerwe
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