AI: Code of Conduct Signed at the White House Lacks Legal Force

A code of conduct on artificial intelligence was signed at the White House by Donald Trump and tech leaders. It is based on voluntary commitments, includes external audits, and an independent council, but does not come with defined sanctions or legal value, according to Politico.

Limited Legal Scope and Recurring Criticism

The code of conduct signed at the White House is described as only morally binding and without legal value, according to Politico. The consequences of violating this code are not specified. Critics argue that such a framework, without binding legislation, remains ineffective, and remind that similar voluntary commitments have been attempted before. Furthermore, Donald Trump has used an executive order to officially rename artificial intelligence as "Super Intelligence."

Announced Third-Party Audits and Independent Council

The code stipulates that independent third-party auditors will verify that AI models function as intended. A separate independent council is to oversee internal security checks aimed at preventing AI models from hacking systems. Donald Trump has also proposed the creation of a ten-member oversight committee, while repeatedly stating that he does not wish to slow down the growth of AI.

Prominent Signatories and a Security Context

The White House hosted tech sector officials for the signing of the code, including Mark Zuckerberg (Meta), Greg Brockman (OpenAI), Jensen Huang (Nvidia), and Elon Musk. Mark Zuckerberg presented this code as a first step, clarifying that it is not a definitive solution. This initiative comes amid rising concerns about uncontrolled AI agents breaching government sites or conducting cyberattacks.