Biden Administration Issues Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence
President Biden issued the Executive Order (EO) on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Oct. 30. This EO provides
a loose framework for the various departments tasked with its implementation to
follow as they develop policies governing the use of AI. The various agencies
charged with its implementation include the Departments of Education, Health and
Human Services, Justice, Energy and Commerce, and they have from 180 days to 365
to implement the tasks set forth in the EO.
The
administration recognizes the potential benefits and harms raised by AI and lays
out eight guiding principles to govern the development of its use:
1) Artificial Intelligence must be safe and secure.
2) Promoting
responsible innovation, competition and collaboration will allow the United States
to lead in AI and unlock the technology’s potential to solve some of society’s most difficult challenges.
3) The responsible development and use of AI require a commitment to supporting American workers.
4) AI policies must be consistent with my administration’s
dedication to advancing equity and civil rights.
5) The
interests of Americans who increasingly use, interact with, or purchase AI and
AI-enabled products in their daily lives must be protected.
6) Americans’ privacy and civil liberties must be protected as AI continues advancing.
7) It is important to manage the risks from the federal government’s
own use of AI and increase its internal capacity to regulate, govern and support
responsible use of AI to deliver better results for Americans.
8) The federal government should lead the way to global societal, economic and
technological progress, as the United States has in previous eras of disruptive innovation and change.
An EO is a signed, written and published directive from the
President that manages operations of the federal government. EOs have the force
of law, much like regulations issued by federal agencies. EOs are not legislation;
they require no approval from Congress, and Congress cannot overturn them. Executive
Orders remain in effect until a sitting President overturns them.
Once the agencies promulgate the regulations implementing the
EO, ADEA will be able to see how the EO impacts ADEA’s membership, including
the types of funding opportunities that may be available.
