this post was submitted on 29 Sep 2024
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The Federal Trade Commission is taking action against multiple companies that have relied on artificial intelligence as a way to supercharge deceptive or unfair conduct that harms consumers, as part of its new law enforcement sweep called Operation AI Comply.

The cases being announced today include actions against a company promoting an AI tool that enabled its customers to create fake reviews, a company claiming to sell “AI Lawyer” services, and multiple companies claiming that they could use AI to help consumers make money through online storefronts.

“Using AI tools to trick, mislead, or defraud people is illegal,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan. “The FTC’s enforcement actions make clear that there is no AI exemption from the laws on the books. By cracking down on unfair or deceptive practices in these markets, FTC is ensuring that honest businesses and innovators can get a fair shot and consumers are being protected.”

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[–] lvxferre@mander.xyz 26 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

That seems sensible.

Even a hypothetically true artificial general intelligence would still not be a moral agent, thus it cannot be held responsible for its actions; as such, whoever deploys and maintains it should be held responsible. That's doubly true with LLMs as they aren't even intelligent to begin with.

[–] Rhaedas@fedia.io 2 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Even a hypothetically true artificial general intelligence would still not be a moral agent

That's a deep rabbit hole that can't be stated as a known fact. It's absolutely true right now with LLMs, but at some point the line could be crossed. If and when, how, and by what definition has been a long debate nowhere near resolved.

It's highly possible that AGI/ASI could come about and be both super intelligent and self conscious and still have no sense of morality. But how can we at human levels even comprehend what's possible? There's the real danger, we have no idea what we could be heading towards.

[–] lvxferre@mander.xyz 4 points 14 hours ago

To be a moral agent, your actions towards others need to have consequences for yourself - be those consequences direct, social, emotional, or something else. And intelligence on itself doesn't provide those consequences.

The nearest that you could do, with AGI alone, would be to hardcode it with ethical principles, but that's another matter. (I'm saying this because people often conflate ethics and morality, even if they're two different cans of worms.)

[–] halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world 13 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

Surprisingly fast for a government organization to react to something new.

[–] Cheradenine@sh.itjust.works 17 points 22 hours ago (2 children)
[–] halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world 11 points 22 hours ago (3 children)

Amazing what happens with adequate funding. How long until Republicans open some sort of bullshit Congressional investigation that won't find anything but waste time and money, and as usual try to reduce funding by obviously punitive levels?

[–] Cheradenine@sh.itjust.works 8 points 22 hours ago

Adequate funding and having a chair that isn't in the back pocket of industry.

Her enforcement is getting a fair bit of push back from the courts though, unsurprisingly mostly Republican appointees.

[–] apfelwoiSchoppen@lemmy.world 5 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago)

Harris megadonors are trying to buy favor in order to get Khan removed from the FTC position. I'm kinda worried that it will work.

[–] billiam0202@lemmy.world 1 points 12 hours ago

Given that SCOTUS is focused on destroying the government one agency at a time, you're likely to see them rule that the FTC is unconstitutional because it didn't exist in the 1600s or some other equally-bullshit excuse.

[–] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 2 points 16 hours ago

I am attracted to her because of her sheer awesomeness. There I said it.

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 9 points 15 hours ago

FTC is making some awesome moves while it can

[–] kibiz0r@midwest.social 2 points 15 hours ago

Fake lawyers, fake reviews, and several pyramid schemes. Solid takedowns, FTC!

[–] Blaster_M@lemmy.world 1 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago)

Oh, good, this needed to happen. People making grandiose claims about AI's capabilities that it's nowhere near ready for needed to be shot down.