WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden will sign a groundbreaking executive order on Monday to address the concerns surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on the U.S. workforce, privacy, and national security.
The order, which leverages the Defense Production Act, will require companies developing advanced AI platforms to notify the government during the development process and share results of safety tests. These tests, known as “red-teaming,” involve a comprehensive risk assessment.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology will establish standards for red-team testing to ensure safety before release.
The order also addresses the potential misuse of AI in engineering dangerous biological materials by mandating life-science projects to adhere to screening standards for federal funding.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Bruce Reed hailed Biden’s order as “the most comprehensive actions any government has taken to ensure AI safety, security, and trust.”
“This is the next step in our aggressive strategy to harness AI’s benefits while mitigating its risks,” Reed explained.
In an effort to enhance transparency, the Department of Commerce will establish guidelines for companies to clearly label all AI-generated content.
Additional measures outlined in the order include:
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Prioritizing federal support for AI systems that safeguard Americans’ privacy
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Strengthening privacy guidance for federal agencies and developing privacy guidelines for federal agencies
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Providing guidance to landlords, federal benefits programs, and federal contractors to prevent AI algorithms from exacerbating discrimination
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Developing “principles and best practices” to address job displacement, labor standards, workplace equity, health, safety, and data collection, ensuring the optimization of AI benefits and minimizing harm. This includes a report on AI’s impact on the labor market.
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Expanding grants for AI in vital areas such as climate change and healthcare, and launching the National AI Research Source to make AI data accessible to students and researchers.
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Leading international efforts to establish a framework for managing AI risks and ensuring safety, with the State Department taking the lead.
IBM, the operator of the AI platform watsonx, applauded the executive order. IBM chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna stated, “This Executive Order sends a critical message: that AI used by the United States government will be responsible AI.”
Hodan Omaar, senior policy analyst for the Center for Data Innovation, asserted that the order provides much-needed guidance for the AI industry.
“Amidst all the chaos surrounding appropriate regulations for AI, today’s executive order provides clear direction for the United States,” Omaar said.
Hundreds of scientists, tech industry executives, and public figures, including leaders from Google, Microsoft, and ChatGPT, issued a public statement in May expressing their concerns about AI. They argued that rapidly advancing AI technology could pose a risk to humanity comparable to nuclear war and pandemics like COVID-19.
“Mitigating the risk of AI-induced extinction should be a global priority, alongside other societal risks such as pandemics and nuclear war,” the statement read.
