Introduction
- President Biden is set to sign the first-ever comprehensive executive order on artificial intelligence (AI) to stimulate innovation and address concerns regarding bias, job displacement, and national security threats associated with AI.
- The order covers various aspects of AI, including safety obligations for AI developers, risk mitigation by federal agencies, and the use of federal purchasing power for AI affecting people’s rights and safety.
Key provisions of Biden’s executive order
- AI developers of advanced systems must perform safety tests, called “red teaming,” and share the results with the government before product deployment, using the Defense Production Act to enforce compliance.
- Federal agencies will be required to continuously monitor and evaluate deployed AI systems.
- The order emphasizes developing standards for labeling AI-generated content, addresses potential disruptions in education, health services, and defense sectors, and calls for a comprehensive approach to AI-related challenges.
- The order has significant implications for various government agencies and Silicon Valley companies focused on advanced AI systems.
- The administration acknowledges the need for congressional action to further address AI governance and urges Congress to pass bipartisan data privacy legislation.
Global impact and collaboration
- The United States is acting as other countries, including the European Union and China, move forward with their efforts to regulate AI, with the European Union’s AI Act and China’s regulations for generative AI.
- The Biden administration intends to work collaboratively with other nations on AI policy and regulation.
- The order signals a different approach to AI regulation compared to the United Kingdom, which has taken a light-touch approach towards AI companies.
- The executive order also aims to ease barriers to high-skilled immigration to attract AI talent, which aligns with the ongoing global competition for AI expertise.
Industry commitments
- The Biden administration sees this action as the “strongest set of actions” taken globally regarding AI safety, security, and trust.
- The executive order underscores the United States’ commitment to AI regulation and sends a signal to the world about its priorities.
- This action follows voluntary commitments from companies like OpenAI and Google to test their advanced AI models before public release and share data about system safety.
