Joe Biden Grew More Worried About AI After Watching ‘Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning,’ Says White House Deputy

President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Monday establishing new standards and security measures regarding artificial intelligence. Deputy White House chief of staff Bruce Reed told the Associated Press (via Time) that AI is an issue of great importance to the president, who was “impressed and alarmed” after seeing “fake AI images of himself” and learning about the “terrifying technology of voice cloning.” According to Reed, Biden’s concern about AI also grew after watching “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” at Camp David.

“If he hadn’t already been concerned about what could go wrong with AI before that movie, he saw plenty more to worry about,” said Reed, who watched the film with Biden.

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In “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning,” Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt fights a nonhuman villain, the sentient and dangerous AI known as the Entity. In the opening sequence of the film, the Entity hijacks and sinks a submarine, killing its entire crew.

According to AP, “Biden was profoundly curious about the technology in the months of meetings that led up to drafting the order.” He met with scientists who explained the potential upside of AI, as well as its dangers.

The action items on the executive order will be carried out in the next 90 to 365 days, with those pertaining to safety and security to be addressed first, according to AP. The executive order, which the White House says “directs the most sweeping actions ever taken to protect Americans from the potential risks of AI systems,” includes developing standards, tools and tests to ensure safety in AI systems; and requiring AI developers to share their safety test results and other critical information with the U.S. government. The order also directs guidance for “content authentication and watermarking to clearly label AI-generated content,” as to protect people from AI-driven fraud.

President Biden will have to wait until summer 2025 to see Paramount’s follow-up to “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,” as the film has been delayed a year from its original date of June 28, 2024. The stunt-filled action sequel, directed by Christopher McQuarrie, will also drop the “Part Two” from its name, adopting a new, yet-to-be-determined title.

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