President Biden Issues Landmark Executive Order on AI Advancement and Governance

In a transformative move, President Biden has issued an Executive Order that charts a comprehensive path for the United States to lead in the realm of artificial intelligence (AI). This groundbreaking order, focused on seizing AI's potential while mitigating its risks, establishes new standards, safeguards, and policies to protect American interests. The Executive Order spans a multitude of areas, encompassing AI safety, privacy protection, equity and civil rights, consumer and patient well-being, workers' rights, innovation and competition, and American leadership on the global AI stage.

Summary:

• President Biden signs an Executive Order to steer AI development and governance.

• The order emphasizes AI safety, privacy protection, equity, and competitive innovation.

• Multiple federal agencies are directed to take actions that set new standards for AI security and usage.

• This directive envisions the U.S. as a global leader in responsible AI development and deployment.

The Dawn of a New Era for AI

In a monumental move, President Biden has issued an Executive Order with a sweeping vision for AI development and governance. The order, signed on a landmark occasion, outlines an ambitious strategy to ensure the United States excels in the promise of artificial intelligence while managing the potential risks it poses. Let's delve into the intricacies of this significant development:

Setting New Standards for AI Safety and Security

• Transparency and Accountability: The Executive Order mandates that developers of the most potent AI systems must share safety test results and critical information with the U.S. government. Companies working on foundational AI models with significant national security, economic, or public safety implications will be obliged to notify the government when training such models and share safety test results.

• Stringent Safety Measures: The order calls for the development of rigorous standards, tools, and tests to ensure the safety, security, and trustworthiness of AI systems. These measures will be established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, emphasizing extensive red-team testing before public release. The AI Safety and Security Board, in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security, will oversee the application of these standards, addressing critical infrastructure and security risks.

• Biosecurity Protection: To safeguard against the misuse of AI in engineering dangerous biological materials, robust standards for biological synthesis screening will be developed. Agencies funding life science projects will mandate compliance with these standards, fostering responsible AI utilization.

• Combatting AI-Enabled Deception: The Executive Order introduces standards and best practices for detecting AI-generated content and verifying official content. The Department of Commerce will provide guidance for content authentication, ensuring the clear labeling of AI-generated content, fostering authenticity, and setting an example for governments and the private sector worldwide.

• Enhancing Cybersecurity: The order establishes an advanced cybersecurity program aimed at identifying and rectifying vulnerabilities in critical software through the use of AI tools. This initiative builds upon the ongoing AI Cyber Challenge to enhance software and network security.

• National Security Memorandum: A National Security Memorandum will be developed by the National Security Council, ensuring the ethical and effective use of AI in military and intelligence missions and counteracting adversarial AI application.

Protecting Americans' Privacy

• Privacy-Preserving Techniques: To safeguard Americans' privacy, the Executive Order prioritizes federal support for the development and use of privacy-preserving techniques, including those driven by cutting-edge AI. These techniques allow AI systems to be trained while preserving the privacy of the training data.

• Advancing Privacy Research: The order allocates funding to enhance privacy-preserving research and technologies, including cryptographic tools. The goal is to protect individuals' privacy by advancing privacy-preserving technologies and their adoption by federal agencies.

• Commercial Data Evaluation: Federal agencies will evaluate the collection and use of commercially available data, focusing on data containing personally identifiable information. Enhanced privacy guidance will be developed for federal agencies to address AI-related risks.

• Privacy-Preserving Technique Evaluation: The Executive Order calls for the creation of guidelines to evaluate the effectiveness of privacy-preserving techniques used in AI systems, further fortifying data protection.

Promoting Equity and Civil Rights

• Anti-Discrimination Measures: To combat discrimination, bias, and other abuses in justice, healthcare, housing, and beyond, the President's order directs guidance to landlords, federal benefits programs, and federal contractors to prevent the exacerbation of discrimination through AI algorithms.

• Coordinated Action: The Department of Justice and Federal civil rights offices will collaborate to address algorithmic discrimination by sharing best practices for investigating and prosecuting civil rights violations related to AI.

• Fairness in the Criminal Justice System: The order advocates for the use of AI best practices across the criminal justice system, emphasizing fairness in sentencing, parole, probation, pretrial release, surveillance, crime forecasting, and forensic analysis.

Upholding Consumer, Patient, and Student Rights

• AI in Healthcare: The order promotes responsible AI use in healthcare and the development of affordable and life-saving drugs. A safety program will be established to address and rectify AI-related healthcare harms.

• AI in Education: The directive encourages AI's potential to transform education by providing resources to support the deployment of AI-enabled educational tools.

Supporting Workers

• AI and Workers: The order emphasizes the importance of addressing job displacement, labor standards, workplace equity, health, safety, and data collection. Principles and best practices will be developed to benefit workers by preventing under-compensation, unfair job evaluations, and impingement on workers' rights.

• Labor Market Impact Assessment: A report will be produced on AI's potential impact on the labor market, exploring options for strengthening federal support for workers facing labor disruptions due to AI.

Fostering Innovation and Competition

• Catalyzing AI Research: To maintain its leadership in AI innovation, the United States will launch a pilot of the National AI Research Resource, granting AI researchers and students access to essential AI resources and data. Grants will also be expanded for AI research in critical areas like healthcare and climate change.

• Supporting Small Developers and Entrepreneurs: The order aims to create a fair, open, and competitive AI ecosystem by providing small developers and entrepreneurs with technical assistance and resources. The Federal Trade Commission is encouraged to exercise its authorities to uphold this vision.

• Enhancing Immigration Criteria: The order seeks to expand the ability of skilled immigrants and nonimmigrants with expertise in critical areas to study, work, and stay in the United States, streamlining visa criteria, interviews, and reviews.

Advancing American Leadership Abroad

• International Collaboration: The United States will engage with other nations in bilateral, multilateral, and multi-stakeholder endeavors to collaborate on AI. This includes the establishment of international frameworks to harness AI's benefits and manage its risks. Vice President Harris will also participate in the UK Summit on AI Safety.

• AI Standards Development: The order accelerates the development and implementation of essential AI standards with international partners and standards organizations, ensuring the technology's safety, security, trustworthiness, and interoperability.

• Global AI Development: The order supports responsible and rights-affirming AI development worldwide, addressing global challenges such as sustainable development and the protection of critical infrastructure.

Ensuring Responsible Government Use of AI

• Government AI Deployment: The order acknowledges AI's potential to enhance government functions and services, improving efficiency and security. However, it also highlights the need for responsible AI use. Guidelines for agencies' AI use will be established, emphasizing standards to protect rights, improve AI procurement, and enhance AI deployment.

• Efficient Procurement: Agencies will be empowered to acquire specified AI products and services more rapidly and efficiently through streamlined contracting processes.

• AI Workforce Development: The government will initiate an AI talent surge by rapidly hiring AI professionals across agencies, ensuring AI training for employees at all levels in relevant fields.

The Path Forward

The President's Executive Order on AI advancement and governance marks a decisive step toward securing America's leadership in responsible AI development and deployment. As the U.S. embraces AI's potential, safeguards are put in place to protect citizens' safety, privacy, equity, and rights. This Executive Order not only sets the tone for the future of AI but also underscores the imperative for responsible innovation. More actions will follow, as the Administration collaborates with Congress to lead the way in shaping the responsible AI landscape.

Source: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/10/30/fact-sheet-president-biden-issues-executive-order-on-safe-secure-and-trustworthy-artificial-intelligence/