Amazon has joined the US Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute Consortium, established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), as part of its efforts to increase collaboration on making AI safe and secure.

The retailer said it is collaborating with organisations in the Consortium to establish new methods to scale and promote the development of AI and its responsible use.

Amazon added that it plans to contribute $5 million in compute credits to the Institute to enable the development of tools and methodologies that organisations can use to evaluate the safety of their foundation models.

The company says it is especially keen to develop evaluation methods for very large parameter modes and improving testing by focusing on domain specific risks.

“We recognise the unique challenges posed by generative AI will require ongoing cooperation, and we look forward to working with NIST and other members of the consortium to improve the safety and security of generative AI,” Amazon said. “Our involvement in this Institute is one of many steps we are taking to invest in the future of responsible AI and help inform international standards in the interest of our customers, as well as the communities in which we live and work.”

Amazon has introduced several AI tools over the past few months.

Last week it announced the launch of Rufus, an in-app generative AI shopping tool. It has also launched a feature which allows its customer to consult their friends, while last year it announced a new generative AI chatbot aimed at business customers.

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