The inventor of the chatbot ChatGPT has urged US lawmakers to regulate artificial intelligence (AI).

Sam Altman, CEO of Open AI, gave evidence to a US Senate committee yesterday. He said a new agency should be formed to license AI companies.

ChatGPT has been making waves on the internet in recent months. It is the most advanced chatbot of its type and can give very human answers to questions.

However, it can also be very inaccurate with critics warning it could be manipulated to spread disinformation.

Mr Altman, 38, did not hide from the ethical questions raised by AI as he pushed for more regulation.

AI could fundamentally alter the economy, meaning some jobs simply disappear.

In response to his testimony, Democrat Senator Richard Blumenthal warned:

While there is strong, bi-partisan support for regulation, there are also concerns the development of new AI technologies is moving too fast, quickly rendering any regulation obsolete.

In March 2023, the UK Government published A pro-innovation approach to AI regulation. It said the government favours using existing laws, rather than creating new ones. It also said it would introduce a new framework to bring ‘clarity and coherence’ to the AI regulatory landscape.