In his farewell address to the nation ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration, U.S. President Joe Biden highlighted both the benefits and risks of artificial intelligence.

“Artificial intelligence is the most significant technology of our time. Few things hold as much promise and peril for our economy, security, and society,” the president said regarding AI.

He added that neural networks could cure cancer, but without proper safeguards, the technology “threatens our way of life, privacy, jobs, and national security.”

“In the age of AI, it’s critical that people remain in control. And as the land of liberty, America—not China—must lead the development of artificial intelligence,” Biden added.

The president also warned about tech companies, accusing social media platforms of abandoning fact-checking and contributing to the decline of free press and editorial oversight.

The address summarized Biden’s achievements as president and outlined key steps for the incoming administration.

Context

In January, the Biden administration imposed new restrictions on U.S.-developed computer chips to prevent foreign access to advanced technologies.
Later, the president signed an executive order to provide federal support for the significant energy demands of data centers powering AI technologies.