AI concentrating more power in Big Tech's hands, NYU researchers warn

The rise of artificial intelligence is entrenching more economic and political power in the hands of Big Tech companies, according to researchers at New York University (NYU) who argue AI must undergo more scrutiny and regulation. AI Now, a research institute at NYU, released a new report detailing how major tech companies wield significant control over AI, arguing such influence must be addressed now before the situation gets too out of hand. "This report is written with this task in mind: we are drawing from our experiences inside and outside government to outline an agenda for how we -- as a group of individuals, communities, and institutions deeply concerned about the impact of AI unfolding around us -- can meaningfully confront the core problem that AI presents, and one of the most difficult challenges of our time: the concentration of economic and political power in the hands of the tech industry -- Big Tech in particular," the document states. The authors add that AI development has been "foundationally reliant" on resources controlled by Big Tech, including data and computer power. Plus, they write, Big Tech companies have gained geopolitical importance by playing a central role in the U.S.-China race for AI supremacy, thereby conflating "the continued dominance of Big Tech as synonymous with U.S. economic prowess, and [ensuring] the continued accrual of resources and political capital to these companies."