Kathi Vidal, the current director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and an engineer who worked with AI in its earliest stages, made an eye-catching remark during the recent Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit about the shortcomings of Tesla’s AI.
In an open discussion, Vidal revealed her encounter with the AI in her Tesla, implying a significant bias in the system that, in her opinion, was far from inclusive.
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“When I drive and I see a voluptuous woman walk across the street, Elon depicts her as a tall white man,” Vidal said, referring to how the Tesla’s AI seemingly categorizes all pedestrians in a narrow and, frankly, incorrect manner.
Vidal, who has a Tesla Model S Plaid and a Roadster on order, made it clear she’s willing to take action if this issue isn’t addressed. “Elon, if you’re listening, I’m going to withdraw my money if you don’t change that,” she added.
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Vidal’s comments reflect broader concerns about biases in AI systems. This remark is just one example of the increasing conversation about how artificial intelligence can unintentionally reinforce stereotypes or fail to accurately represent different groups of people. With Tesla being at the forefront of autonomous vehicle technology, the biases in its AI systems are especially concerning because they could have real-world consequences.
The director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has experience dating back to the early 1990s, when artificial intelligence was still in its infancy and data sets were much smaller than they are now. Vidal noted that when she worked in the aerospace industry trying to detect faults on aircraft, they were only working with much smaller, isolated data sets at the time, so there wasn’t even a conversation about big data or bias.
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Vidal also discussed her approach to AI policy during the summit. She said that in her role, she focuses on four main things: jobs, innovation to solve community and world problems, making sure the U.S. stays competitive and national security. She believes that AI should benefit everyone, including eliminating prejudices like the one she observed in her Tesla.
She also expressed concerns about how policy is shaped, noting that all voices need to be heard to avoid policies that disproportionately benefit big corporations. “If we look at policy through that lens, we’re going to be shaping policy for the large organizations,” Vidal said, urging small businesses and individuals to weigh in on AI policy: “All of you have a stake in how we shape policy and we need you to reach out. You can write personal letters, [and] we’ll take meetings.”
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