AI is changing the world faster than anyone anticipated. But this rapid transformation comes with new challenges—particularly how businesses and governments can work together to guide AI’s development and regulation.

Business leaders have called for governments to play a stronger role in regulating AI. For instance, in his first appearance before the U.S. Congress, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, implored lawmakers to regulate AI. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet, expressed a similar goal, writing in The Financial times that AI needs to be regulated in a way that balances innovation and potential harms.

Altman’s and Pichai’s views underline why a closer, more productive relationship between the private and public sectors is needed. But, for this collaborative effort to take form, both the public and private sectors will need to be humble, continuously build expertise, and act decisively.

Be humble: recognize what you don’t know

Every business needs to approach AI collaboration with humility, especially as large language models (LLMs) continue to defy expectations.

Many experts were taken aback when models like OpenAI’s GPT-3, despite being designed primarily for text prediction, displayed unexpected capabilities, such as solving math problems and mimicking computer terminals—tasks for which they had never been explicitly trained.

These emergent behaviors showcase the unpredictability of AI. Even the most sophisticated models can behave in ways that surprise their creators. Much has changed since the launch of GPT-3, but this unpredictability highlights how much remains unknown, even among AI pioneers​.

The path to safer, more responsible AI requires you to admit what you don’t know and engage regulators early in the process. For example, although AI has been revolutionary in industries like health and agriculture, the heavily regulated nature of these industries reinforces the need for clear, ethically grounded guidance from both the private and public sectors​.

Learn: build AI expertise in government

The pace at which AI is evolving often leaves government legislators scrambling to catch up. Many lawmakers have admitted they lack the understanding needed to regulate such fast-moving technologies effectively.

The challenge lies in governments finding ways to engage with AI beyond just regulating its potential risks. They need to partner with industry leaders not just to control AI but to guide its development toward positive societal outcomes.

Programs like the Federal government’s $140 million investment in AI research centers  are a step in the right direction.

Act: take decisive action beyond regulation

The most impactful collaboration goes beyond AI regulation, when businesses and governments roll up their sleeves to solve specific problems.

Consider some successful collaborations that have already seen success. Google’s DeepMind worked with the UK’s National Health Service to create AI-driven tools that identify eye diseases from medical images, thus improving early diagnosis.

Microsoft’s FarmBeats initiative, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has applied AI and IoT technology to enhance data-driven farming practices, boosting sustainability and productivity. This emphasizes how AI can be a force for good when governments and businesses work together toward shared goals​.

These collaborations are promising because they tap into a longstanding relationship between government agencies and businesses to develop technology. Innovation hubs formed through such partnerships often serve to facilitate collaboration between established companies, government agencies, and start-ups.

For example, the UK’s Tech Nation initiative supports tech startups, including those in the AI sector, by connecting them with government resources and expertise. These established centers around the world provide a wellspring of collaboration in AI. 

Start collaborating to shape AI’s future

At Centific, we’re also partnering with businesses and government agencies to achieve compliance with AI regulation. By embracing humility, enhancing knowledge, and driving action, our frontier AI data foundry platform can help drive ethical and responsible innovation that leads to a more productive, safer future for everyone.

Learn more about Centific’s commitment to public sector collaboration.