President Biden has issued an Executive Order to establish new standards for Artificial Intelligence (AI) safety and security, protect privacy, advance equity and civil rights, and promote innovation and competition. The order requires developers of powerful AI systems to share safety test results with the U.S. government. The National Institute of Standards and Technology will set rigorous standards for testing AI systems. The Departments of Energy and Homeland Security will address AI threats to critical infrastructure. The order also calls for developing privacy-preserving techniques and guidelines to evaluate their effectiveness.
New Standards for Artificial Intelligence Safety and Security
President Biden has issued an Executive Order to establish new standards for the safety and security of artificial intelligence (AI). This order is part of a comprehensive strategy for responsible innovation and builds on previous actions taken by the administration. The order requires developers of powerful AI systems to share their safety test results and other critical information with the U.S. government. This is to ensure that AI systems are safe, secure, and trustworthy before they are made public.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology will set rigorous standards for extensive testing to ensure safety before public release. The Department of Homeland Security will apply these standards to critical infrastructure sectors and establish the AI Safety and Security Board. The Departments of Energy and Homeland Security will also address AI systems’ threats to critical infrastructure, as well as chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and cybersecurity risks.
The order also aims to protect against the risks of using AI to engineer dangerous biological materials by developing strong new standards for biological synthesis screening. It also seeks to protect Americans from AI-enabled fraud and deception by establishing standards and best practices for detecting AI-generated content and authenticating official content.
Protecting Americans’ Privacy
The Executive Order also addresses the potential risks AI poses to Americans’ privacy. It calls on Congress to pass bipartisan data privacy legislation to protect all Americans, especially children. The order prioritises federal support for accelerating the development and use of privacy-preserving techniques, including ones that use cutting-edge AI and that let AI systems be trained while preserving the privacy of the training data.
The order also aims to strengthen privacy-preserving research and technologies, such as cryptographic tools that preserve individuals’ privacy. It also calls for the evaluation of how agencies collect and use commercially available information and to strengthen privacy guidance for federal agencies to account for AI risks.
Advancing Equity and Civil Rights
The Executive Order recognises that irresponsible uses of AI can lead to and deepen discrimination, bias, and other abuses in justice, healthcare, and housing. To ensure that AI advances equity and civil rights, the President directs actions to provide clear guidance to landlords, Federal benefits programs, and federal contractors to prevent AI algorithms from being used to exacerbate discrimination.
The order also addresses algorithmic discrimination through training, technical assistance, and coordination between the Department of Justice and Federal civil rights offices. It also aims to ensure fairness throughout the criminal justice system by developing best practices on the use of AI in sentencing, parole and probation, pretrial release and detention, risk assessments, surveillance, crime forecasting and predictive policing, and forensic analysis.
Promoting Innovation and Competition
The Executive Order aims to ensure that America continues to lead the way in AI innovation and competition. It seeks to catalyse AI research across the United States through a pilot of the National AI Research Resource and expanded grants for AI research in vital areas like healthcare and climate change.
The order also aims to promote a fair, open, and competitive AI ecosystem by providing small developers and entrepreneurs access to technical assistance and resources. It also seeks to use existing authorities to expand the ability of highly skilled immigrants and nonimmigrants with expertise in critical areas to study, stay, and work in the United States.
Ensuring Responsible and Effective Government Use of AI
The Executive Order also addresses the responsible government deployment of AI and modernisation of federal AI infrastructure. It directs actions to issue guidance for agencies’ use of AI, including clear standards to protect rights and safety, improve AI procurement, and strengthen AI deployment.
The order also aims to help agencies acquire specified AI products and services faster, more cheaply, and more effectively. It also seeks to accelerate the rapid hiring of AI professionals as part of a government-wide AI talent surge. The administration will continue to work with Congress to pursue bipartisan legislation to help America lead the way in responsible innovation.
“The actions that President Biden directed today are vital steps forward in the U.S.’s approach on safe, secure, and trustworthy AI. More action will be required, and the Administration will continue to work with Congress to pursue bipartisan legislation to help America lead the way in responsible innovation.” – Biden-Harris Administration
Quick Summary
President Biden has issued an Executive Order to establish new standards for AI safety and security, protect privacy, advance equity and civil rights, and promote innovation and competition in the field of artificial intelligence. The order includes measures such as requiring developers of powerful AI systems to share safety test results with the U.S. government, developing standards for AI safety, protecting against AI-enabled fraud, and advancing the responsible use of AI in healthcare and education.
- President Biden has issued an Executive Order to establish new standards for AI safety and security, protect privacy, advance equity and civil rights, and promote innovation and competition.
- The order requires developers of powerful AI systems to share safety test results and other critical information with the U.S. government.
- The National Institute of Standards and Technology will set rigorous standards for testing AI systems’ safety before public release.
- The order also aims to protect against the risks of using AI to engineer dangerous biological materials and AI-enabled fraud and deception.
- It calls for the development of an advanced cybersecurity program to develop AI tools to find and fix vulnerabilities in critical software.
- The order also calls on Congress to pass bipartisan data privacy legislation to protect all Americans, especially children.
- It directs actions to provide clear guidance to landlords, federal benefits programs, and federal contractors to prevent AI algorithms from exacerbating discrimination.
- The order also aims to advance the responsible use of AI in healthcare and education, and develop principles and best practices to mitigate the harms and maximize the benefits of AI for workers.
- It also aims to catalyze AI research across the U.S. and promote a fair, open, and competitive AI ecosystem.
- The order also directs actions to expand bilateral, multilateral, and multistakeholder engagements to collaborate on AI and accelerate development and implementation of vital AI standards with international partners.
- It also aims to ensure the responsible government deployment of AI and modernize federal AI infrastructure.