Tammy Whitehouse, senior writer at The Wall Street Journal reports that wide-ranging requirements established new standards and directives meant to promote the safe, secure, and trustworthy use of AI in the United States.
President Biden’s newly signed AI Executive Order outlines many significant actions federal agencies must take to govern their use of AI, innovate and experiment with it, and effectively manage risks to safety and civil rights. As agencies prepare for the new requirements, leaders in commercial industries can consider how they may be affected by downstream effects and begin their own planning as well.
The order, signed Oct. 30, establishes standards intended to maximize the safety and security of AI systems and protect people from AI-related risks while furthering U.S. leadership globally on emerging technologies. It also requires federal agencies to upskill workers and recruit experts, pursue high-impact AI use cases, and encourage experimentation with generative AI and other tools under established guardrails. In addition, it seeks to combat discrimination and bias in AI applications, focusing on justice, health care, and housing to promote equitable outcomes. It places tools, services, and education at the forefront of AI integration. […]
“As agency leaders prepare to meet the new requirements, they can consider many ways that AI can affect as well as augment their operations, including how they may deploy AI in ways that have important implications for safety, security, and trust,” Li says. “It may be important for leaders to begin to define their risk tolerances and envision a future for their organizations transformed by AI.”
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James Broughel of Forbes writes:
President Biden’s new executive order on artificial intelligence safety is already making waves across the technology industry. While the intention of the order is ensuring the responsible development and safe use of AI, the result of the order is likely to be entirely different. The order suffers from a classic “Ready! Fire! Aim!” mentality, jumping the gun with overly prescriptive regulations before assessing the nature and significance of the problem it aims to solve. This may prove one of the most dangerous government policies in years. […]
While the administration is correct that AI is going to require an upheaval of modern administrative governance, its “regulate everything but the kitchen sink” approach to AI governance is not the right strategy. Regulation of AI is going to require speed, agility, and flexibility to match the dynamism of the AI landscape. Our existing regulatory institutions, based on 76-year old laws and processes, are not up to the task to govern 21st century technology.
Biden’s AI safety order could well be the biggest policy mistake of my lifetime. The new order may have been crafted with the intention of being a guide toward a safer AI future, but it has been plotted using an outdated map.
“The AI genie is out of the bottle. It can’t be put back inside. Suppressing core AI innovation here in the U.S. won’t stop China from advancing the technology on its own. And if we fall behind China in the AI race…all other risks will seem tame by comparison.
“That’s why I… pic.twitter.com/1z3mYDeTKF
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) December 6, 2023
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