US President Big Decision on AI Technology
President Joe Biden issued a new executive order on artificial intelligence — the U.S. government’s first action of its kind — requiring new safety assessments, equity and civil rights guidance and research on AI’s impact on the labor market.
While law enforcement agencies have warned that they’re ready to apply existing law to abuses of AI and Congress has endeavored to learn more about the technology to craft new laws, the executive order could have a more immediate impact. Like all executive orders, it “has the force of law,” according to a senior administration official who spoke with reporters on a call Sunday.
The White House breaks the key components of the executive order into eight parts:
Creating new safety and security standards for AI, including by requiring some AI companies to share safety test results with the federal government, directing the Commerce Department to create guidance for AI watermarking, and creating a cybersecurity program that can make AI tools that help identify flaws in critical software.
Protecting consumer privacy, including by creating guidelines that agencies can use to evaluate privacy techniques used in AI.
Advancing equity and civil rights by providing guidance to landlords and federal contractors to help avoid AI algorithms furthering discrimination, and creating best practices on the appropriate role of AI in the justice system, including when it’s used in sentencing, risk assessments and crime forecasting.
Job security against AI
The Biden administration admits that AI is a boon for business, but it also threatens job security. The administration will provide guidelines and best practices for employers to follow. At the same time, the Department of Labor and the Council of Economic Advisors study how AI could affect the job market. The administration also recognizes the importance of responsible government development and deployment of AI.
The US government is launching AI.gov, a new jobs portal, on Monday to attract more AI talent to federal jobs. The portal will provide information and guidance on available fellowship programs.
The White House Deputy Chief of Staff, Bruce Reed, has referred to the order as the most robust set of actions any government has taken to ensure AI security. The order also addresses privacy, housing discrimination, and job displacement. Reed stated that it is the next step in an aggressive strategy to leverage the benefits of AI while mitigating the risks involved.
Protecting consumers overall by directing the Department of Health and Human Services to create a program to evaluate potentially harmful AI-related health-care practices and creating resources on how educators can responsibly use AI tools.
Supporting workers by producing a report on the potential labor market implications of AI and studying the ways the federal government could support workers affected by a disruption to the labor market.
Promoting innovation and competition by expanding grants for AI research in areas such as climate change and modernizing the criteria for highly skilled immigrant workers with key expertise to stay in the U.S.
Working with international partners to implement AI standards around the world.
Developing guidance for federal agencies’ use and procurement of AI and speeding up the government’s hiring of workers skilled in the field.
Creating new safety and security standards for AI, including measures that require AI companies to share safety test results with the federal government
Protecting consumer privacy, by creating guidelines that agencies can use to evaluate privacy techniques used in AI
Helping to stop AI algorithms discriminate and creating best practices on the appropriate role of AI in the justice system
Creating a program to evaluate potentially harmful AI related healthcare practices and creating resources on how educators can responsibly use AI tools
Working with international partners to implement AI standards around the world.
The Biden administration is also taking steps to beef up its AI workforce. From today, workers with AI expertise can find relevant openings in the federal government on AI.gov.
The order represents “the strongest set of actions any government in the world has ever taken on AI safety, security, and trust,” White House Deputy Chief of Staff Bruce Reed said in a statement.
