WASHINGTON — Glitter, glamor and geopolitics were on the menu Wednesday night as Washington’s AI elite gathered to mingle and celebrate AI pioneers.
With a red carpet and a dancing humanoid robot, the event could have been mistaken for a Hollywood sci-fi premiere. Even as AI becomes a growing source of tension in communities across America, the evening’s honorees were largely optimistic about the trajectory of AI and its potential impact on society.
“AI is a transformative technology that will enable many advances, from health care to engineering to energy production to security,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright told NBC News earlier this evening.
“I understand people’s concerns about this, but this is going to be extremely positive for our society,” Wright said. “It’s a great event.”
Held at the Waldorf Astoria – formerly the Trump International Hotel – just steps from the White House, the black-tie Washington AI Honors gala brought together an eclectic mix of billionaires, elected officials, industry insiders, lobbyists, administration officials and a handful of scientists to chat, snack and exchange information on AI deals and development.
The event was hosted by the Washington AI Network, a group that regularly hosts fireside chats with Washington’s AI stakeholders, and was sponsored by a who’s who of deep-pocketed tech players, including Anthropic, Microsoft and Meta. Senior administration officials, including Wright, National Cybersecurity Director Sean Cairncross, and Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz, were in attendance.
Many speakers lamented growing public opposition to AI on issues ranging from data center construction to potential job market disruptions caused by AI, which they said could unfairly obscure AI’s potential benefits.
“Unfortunately, there is currently a double-talk in the United States about the merits of AI,” said celebrity investor Kevin O’Leary, accepting the evening’s AI Global Ambassador Award. “In one camp we have people who think AI will replace all jobs and then robots will eat babies. »
“And the other side is the merits of what AI could be as a tool to advance medical research, democratize everything we do in education, keep our economy productive and advance what we do in defense,” O’Leary added, noting that many Americans fear data centers because of what he called outdated information and calling on developers to produce enough energy to help communities and avoid energy rate hikes.
AI messages from the gold-leafed ballroom often contrasted with popular sentiments toward the technology. In March, NBC News poll found that a strong majority of Americans believe the risks of AI outweigh its benefits. In this poll, only the Democratic Party and Iran were viewed less favorably than AI. “I feel like as an industry we’re behind the times when it comes to messaging,” O’Leary said. The “Shark Tank” mogul is currently trying to build one of the nation’s largest data centers in Utah, but it has faced strong local opposition.
Featuring neon-clad dancers on stilts, a roving food delivery drone, and hundreds of candles floating elegantly in vats of water, the event was a curious mix of heartfelt wishes for collaborative AI development and standard DC good humor.
Attendees seemed eager to network as much as possible at the gala, often chatting with associates and neighbors during the speakers’ remarks. The chatter caused the entertainers to silence the crowd in a not-so-playful manner on several occasions.
The Vatican’s new ambassador to Washington, Gabriele Caccia, fought to be heard during his opening speech. “At every stage, the development and application of artificial intelligence must be guided by the dignity of the human person, by the common good of the human family,” Caccia said amid the din of silverware and the exchange of business cards.
CNN’s Pamela Brown, who presided over part of the affair, asked the crowd to “calm down so I can tell you this secret,” which turned out to be a new poll from the Washington AI Network and the research organization Morning Consult on Americans’ views on AI. The poll reveals that AI has lost all its face-to-face meetings with other US institutions such as Congress on questions of trust. The recent online poll of approximately 1,500 U.S. adults also found that 70% of Americans are concerned about the impact of AI on the upcoming election, with particular concerns surrounding deepfakes and the targeting of AI-powered personal ads.
Americans are concerned about AI because “they’re afraid of being left behind,” said winner Michele Jawando, CEO of the nonprofit Omidyar Network, an organization that aims to promote more inclusive and accessible technology. “I almost implore you to step back and ask: Who is missing from your conversations, from your room, from your product design launches? » » Jawando asked the tech titans and politicians in the room. “And what can you do to change that?” »
Minutes earlier, Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll said AI was helping the military “exponentially accelerate the chain of death.” He added that the military is eager to join forces with the private sector companies that design today’s AI systems “to build the tools that allow our Soldiers to see further, decide faster and strike harder than any adversary, anywhere on Earth, at any time.”
Wednesday’s event was the second edition of the gala and honored O’Leary, Jawando, Senators Mike Rounds, RS.D. and Mark Warner, D-Va., to Nvidia co-founder Chris Malachowsky, Katherine Yelich, vice chancellor for research at the University of California, Berkeley, and Maj. Gen. Patrick Ellis.