Google executive Royal Hansen responded to some lawmakers’ calls to slow the development of artificial intelligence (AI) in the U.S., emphasizing the need to develop and use the technology responsibly rather than fall behind other countries.
“It’s really… this idea of being responsible as we invest in and develop AI because there’s a lot of upside to using AI well, whether it’s in energy production or healthcare or science,” he told “The Sunday Briefing.”
“But in cybersecurity,” he continued, “it’s an area where we need to keep people safe, help people learn to use AI well at the same time.”
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Hansen later pointed to energy as a major focus area for AI development, citing the “Genesis Mission,” an ongoing collaboration between technology companies, the Department of Energy and the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).
The initiative, signed by President Donald Trump last month, aims to accelerate AI use for scientific research.
“I think [it’s] a great example of that intersection between AI and energy,” Hansen said.
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“They [federal agencies] have the national labs, which are some of the best scientists on the planet. If we can work with AI and technologies like quantum as it becomes available to solve some of these energy problems, it actually can become a really nice virtuous cycle where we improve science, we improve energy and we, as American innovation, win.”
Hansen also pointed to cybersecurity as another area where AI is already being deployed defensively, noting that while attackers are increasingly using the technology, companies are developing AI-powered tools to protect systems at scale.
