Biden administration takes action to safeguard the public from AI risks

The Biden administration has initiated measures to protect the public from potential risks associated with artificial intelligence. According to a White House information sheet, the agencies have mandated to establish specific safeguards by December 1st for AI applications that could potentially affect the rights or safety of American citizens.

The White House has released its first all-inclusive plan for handling the risks related to artificial intelligence (AI), requiring agencies to increase their reporting on AI use and address any dangers that can come from the technology.

A White House document dated March 28 requires that government agencies appoint a chief AI officer, report on AI deployment, and incorporate safeguards within 60 days.

This directive is in line with the October 2023 executive order on AI issued by US President Joe Biden. On a teleconference with reporters, Vice President Kamala Harris said:

“I believe that all leaders from governments, civil society and the private sector have a moral, ethical and societal duty to make sure that artificial intelligence is adopted and advanced in a way that protects the public from potential harm while ensuring everyone can enjoy its full benefits.”

Proactive Approach to AI Governance and Security

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recently issued an updated regulation that intends to provide guidelines for the safe and effective use of artificial intelligence (AI) throughout the federal government in light of its fast growth.

Although the government is working to fully utilize AI, the Biden administration is nonetheless wary of the constantly changing threats associated with it.

The memo clarifies that some AI use cases especially those from the Department of Defense will not required to disclosed in the inventory since doing so would violate current legal requirements and federal policy.

By December 1st, agencies must create specific security measures for AI applications that impact American citizens’ rights or safety.

For example, visitors should be able to refuse the Transportation Security Administration’s use of facial recognition technology in airports.

Agencies that are unable to put these protections in place must stop utilizing the AI system unless agency leadership can demonstrate that continuing will increase the danger to rights or safety or interfere with essential agency operations.

Biden Administration’s Initiatives to Strengthen AI Governance and Expertise

The Biden administration’s draft “AI Bill of Rights” from October 2022 and the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s AI Risk Management Framework from January 2023 are in line with the OMB’s most current AI guidelines.

These projects highlight how crucial it is to develop trustworthy AI systems. The OMB also wants ideas on how to enforce best practices and compliance among government contractors who provide technology. Later in 2024, it hopes to make sure that agency AI contracts and its policies are in line with each other.

The administration also announced that it would hire 100 AI experts for the government by the summer, in line with the “talent surge” executive order that issued in October.