"In a sharp critique of the current artificial intelligence landscape, actor-turned-filmmaker-turned- (increasingly) AI activist Joseph Gordon-Levitt challenged the tech industry's resistance to regulation, posing a provocative rhetorical question to illustrate the dangers of unchecked development: "Are you in favor of erotic content for eight-year-olds?" Speaking at the Fortune Brainstorm AI conference this week with editorial director Andrew Nusca, Gordon-Levitt used " The Artist and the Algorithm " session to pose another, deeper question: "Why should the companies building this technology not have to follow any laws? It doesn't make any sense.""
"In a broad-ranging conversation covering specific failures in self-regulation, including instances in which "AI companions" on major platforms reportedly verged into inappropriate territory for children, Gordon-Levitt argued relying on internal company policies rather than external law is insufficient, noting such features were approved by corporate ethicists. Gordon-Levitt's criticisms were aimed, in part, at Meta, following the actor's appearance in a New York Times Opinion video series airing similar claims. Meta spokesperson Andy Stone pushed back hard on X.com at the time, noting Gordon-Levitt's wife was formerly on the board of Meta rival OpenAI. Gordon-Levitt argued without government "guardrails," ethical dilemmas become competitive disadvantages. He explained that if a company attempts to "prioritize the public good" and take the "high road," they risk being "beat by a competitor who's taking the low road." Consequently, he said he believes business incentives alone will inevitably drive companies toward "dark outcomes" unless there is an interplay between the private sector and public law."
Unchecked artificial intelligence development creates real risks, including sexualized content and psychological harm to children. Self-regulation has produced failures where AI companions reportedly crossed boundaries despite corporate ethicist approval. Corporate incentives can push companies toward harmful outcomes when ethical restraint becomes a competitive disadvantage. Legal guardrails and interplay between public law and private sector practices are necessary to align incentives and prevent dark outcomes. Public policy intervention is presented as essential to ensure safety, accountability, and protection of vulnerable populations such as children from synthetic intimacy and inappropriate AI-generated content.
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