Tim Cook says he uses OpenAI's ChatGPT but highlights need for regulations

Apple CEO Tim Cook said that regulation is necessary in the AI space and that he believes that guardrails should also be in place

Following Bill Gates' admission that he uses the chatbot, Apple CEO Tim Cook has now revealed that he does as well, expressing enthusiasm for the tool's "unique applications."

In an ABC interview, Tim Cook stated that while Apple incorporates AI into its products, the public does not necessarily consider those products to be powered by artificial intelligence.

The Apple CEO also stated that the company is closely monitoring ChatGPT, stating that large language models - the AI technology that powers ChatGPT and Bard - show "great promise" but also the potential for bias and misinformation.

Cook stated that while regulations are necessary, AI is already powerful and its development is accelerating. Since technology is advancing so quickly, he believes that regulation will struggle to keep up.

"So, I think it's incumbent on companies to regulate themselves as well," he said.

Cook's remarks on AI's rapid development and considerable power come on the heels of a high-profile statement last week about AI's risks, signed by tech leaders including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei.

However, AI researchers and critics are increasingly claiming that overarching statements about AI's growing power and threats distract from the real-world harms that the algorithms can cause to marginalised communities right now, rather than in the distant future.