The development of and use of artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly becoming the focus of public attention. A survey now shows that Germans want caution on the subject. Almost three quarters of Germans support stricter laws for the development of AI. This was the result of a representative survey commissioned by the Funke media group. According to this, 60 percent answered the question with “Yes, definitely” and 14 percent with “rather yes”.
In particular, voters from the SPD, Greens and AfD are in favor of stricter regulations. When asked “In your opinion, should there be stricter laws for the development of artificial intelligence (e.g. ChatGPT)?” 76 percent (Greens and AfD) and 77 percent (SPD) voted “yes”.
The supporters of the Union (71 percent) and the Left (69 percent) also have a lot of approval. Only 57 percent of FDP voters voted in favor of stronger legislation, while 18 percent opposed it.
Most age groups were also in favor of tougher laws. Around 75 percent of people over the age of 40 were in favor of it. The 18- to 29-year-olds followed behind with 68 percent yes and 19 percent no votes. Only the 30 to 39 year olds stood out from the other groups with just 54 percent for and 26 percent against stricter regulations.
Artificial intelligence creates a new challenge.
Baerbel BasPresident of the Bundestag (SPD)
Bundestag President Bärbel Bas (SPD) also sees the security authorities and public prosecutors as having a duty when it comes to AI. “Artificial intelligence creates a new challenge”, Bas told the editorial network Germany. For example, it is possible to simply incorporate people into porn. “In order to recognize and prosecute such fakes, counseling centers and the public prosecutor’s offices need their own responsibilities and cooperation with the investigative authorities.”
The Green digital expert Konstantin von Notz also calls for legal regulation of providers of artificial intelligence such as the ChatGPT program. Its manufacturer Open AI must disclose whether its technology complies with German and European laws, said the Greens parliamentary group vice and chairman of the parliamentary control committee of the Bundestag the “mirror”.
“For AI providers, the secret formula must be able to be checked to ensure that a legally and ethically justifiable product is offered. For the future, certification of AI is conceivable, a kind of seal of approval. Independent supervisory authorities, also and especially at EU level, will have to take a very close look.”
Programs such as the chat robot, which can imitate texts written by humans based on large amounts of information, could be very helpful, said von Notz. “The functioning of the algorithms and the data used behind programs like ChatGPT must be transparent and comprehensible. That’s not the case at the moment,” he warned. “As long as we do not know on what basis information is filtered and compiled, the risk of manipulation and disinformation is high.” Future-proof rules must now be created at European and national level.
Von Notz, on the other hand, was skeptical about a six-month global freeze on the further development of AI, as recently called for by experts around technology billionaire Elon Musk. “There is no global pause button for AI development. The idea that we would all take a breath and then continue in an orderly manner will hardly be possible in practice.”
According to their own statements, the data protection authorities of the federal states are currently examining possible violations of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) through the ChatGPT application. So far, however, there have been no formal complaints. The Schleswig-Holstein data protection officer Marit Hansen, who is currently chairing the conference of data protection authorities, also pointed out, according to the AFP agency, that the risks are more comprehensive than the issue of data protection. That is why politicians and legislators are required. (lem)
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