President Biden signed an Executive Order focused on the safe, secure, and trustworthy development and use of artificial intelligence.
The order seeks increased transparency from AI companies regarding their model operations and introduces new standards aimed at areas of safety, privacy, and consumer/worker protections.
The executive order is incredibly detailed and goes in great length to new standards that must be put in place for the use of AI. A fact sheet was published to summarize key points in the order.
The order is broken down into several sections, each with multiple standards and objectives. Key highlights across the order are as follows.
New Standards for AI Safety and Security
- Developers of the most powerful AI systems must share their safety test results and other critical information with the U.S. government
- The Department of Commerce will develop standards and best practices for detecting AI-generated content and authenticating official content to protect Americans from AI-enabled fraud and deception
- Establishment of an advanced cybersecurity program to develop AI tools to find and fix vulnerabilities in critical software
- Order the development of a National Security Memorandum that directs further actions on AI and security
Protecting Americans’ Privacy
- Prioritizing federal support for accelerating the development and use of privacy-preserving techniques
- Evaluating how agencies collect and use commercially available information and strengthening privacy guidance for federal agencies
- Develop guidelines for federal agencies to evaluate the effectiveness of privacy-preserving techniques
Additional items noted in the order, across different sections, include:
- Addressing algorithmic discrimination
- Advancing the responsible use of AI in healthcare and the development of affordable and life-saving drugs. The Department of Healthe and Human Services will establish a program to receive reports of harms or unsafe healthcare practices involving AI
- Develop principles and best practices to mitigate the harms and maximize the benefits of AI for workers by addressing job displacement; labor standards; workplace equity, health, and safety; and data collection
- Produce a report on AI’s potential labor-market impacts, and study and identify options for strengthening federal support for workers facing labor disruptions, including from AI
The order directs numerous actions by federal agencies, while employing a range of legal and policy tools to help promote U.S. leadership on AI and address the growing concerns surrounding its use.
