Bengio Launches LawZero, Backs AI Safety Laws

Yoshua Bengio, a Turing Award-winning AI pioneer, has launched LawZero, a $30 million nonprofit lab focused on developing safer AI systems amid concerns over risks like deception and rogue behavior. LawZero, backed by donors such as Jaan Tallinn and Eric Schmidt, aims to create 'Scientist AIs' that observe and explain rather than act, introducing safeguards and transparency in AI decision-making. Bengio has become a prominent advocate for AI safety, supporting California's SB-1047 legislation and emphasizing AI's role as a global public good. He has expressed skepticism toward major AI developers like OpenAI and Google for prioritizing rapid progress over safety. Concurrently, the U.S. Congress is considering a federal ban on state-level AI regulations, drawing criticism that this could weaken consumer protections without providing robust federal oversight. Experts argue that government action and strong safety measures are urgently needed as AI technology advances.