President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Monday detailing a comprehensive strategy to support the responsible development of artificial intelligence (AI) while protecting the public from the dangers it poses, marking a major step toward addressing the mounting risks of AI.
The executive order will set new standards for AI safety and security, protect Americans’ privacy, promote equity and civil rights, and advocate for consumers and workers, according to the White House. It also aims to encourage innovation and competition while bolstering American leadership in this field.
“President Biden is rolling out the strongest set of actions any government in the world has ever taken on AI safety, security, and trust,” White House deputy chief of staff Bruce Reed said in a statement.
“It’s the next step in an aggressive strategy to do everything on all fronts to harness the benefits of AI and mitigate the risks.”
As artificial intelligence advances and becomes more popular, an increasing chorus of voices expresses alarm about its possible dangers. In May, a group of prominent figures in the technology industry issued a warning in an open letter about the AI technologies they were developing, suggesting that they could one day constitute an existential threat to humanity. They argued that AI posed an equal risk to society as pandemics and nuclear weapons.
“Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war,” reads a succinct statement by the Center for AI Safety, a nonprofit organization.
The open letter was signed by more than 350 executives, researchers, and policymakers, including Sam Altman, chief executive of OpenAI; Demis Hassabis, chief executive of Google DeepMind; Bill Gates, Gates Ventures; and Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.).
Key Aspects of the AI Executive Order
Establishing New Standards
The order requires the most powerful AI system developers to submit their safety test results and other key information to the U.S. government.
As part of the order, the Departments of Energy and Homeland Security will work together to mitigate threats posed by AI systems to the nation’s critical infrastructure.
To protect Americans against AI-enabled fraud and deception, the executive order mandates the establishment of standards and content authentication guidance, including watermarking to clearly label AI-generated content.
Protecting Privacy
AI makes it easier to gather, identify, and exploit personal data. Hence, the president calls on Congress to pass bipartisan data privacy legislation to protect all Americans, especially children, from the potential risks posed by AI’s use of personal data.
Addressing Algorithmic Discrimination
The executive order recognizes the potential for AI to exacerbate discrimination and bias in sectors such as justice, health care, and housing and outlines measures to address algorithmic discrimination.
Promoting AI Innovation
The order recognizes America’s leadership in AI innovation and aims to maintain this position through initiatives, such as expanding AI research through a pilot of the National AI Research Resource or promoting a competitive AI ecosystem by providing small businesses access to technical assistance and resources.
International Collaboration
The Biden administration will collaborate with other countries to establish a strong international framework for governing the development and use of AI.
Increasing AI Talent
The executive order asks for a government-wide AI talent surge to speed AI adoption by accelerating the rapid hiring of AI professionals. In addition, agencies will offer AI training to staff members at all levels in relevant fields.
From The Epoch Times
