With the launch of artificial intelligence (AI) programs like ChatGPT, it seems clear that AI has entered the zeitgeist. A host of questions and concerns about AI’s security and privacy features have arisen as its use becomes more ubiquitous. In October 2023, the White House issued an Executive Order on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence as a response to the growing pervasiveness of AI in society. It has been lauded by researchers and technologists as a decisive first step towards ensuring that future AI development will be guided by strong standards that account for the critical areas it touches in daily life.
The White House Center for Science and Technology Policy defined the five core principles that underpin the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights. In July 2023, several large technology companies including Google and Meta convened at the White House to announce voluntary commitments advancing the safe, secure, and transparent development of AI. The latest order sets out to define standards for safety and security, advance equity and civil rights, promote innovation and competition, and ensure transparency to protect consumers. This sweeping order also promises to foster strong international collaboration to ensure the same principles guide global AI development. Let’s delve into the key areas and explore five main takeaways.
1) Defines New Standards for AI Safety & Security
The executive order requires that companies developing the most powerful AI algorithms notify the government when they are training these models and share critical safety test data with the U.S. government. This will apply to models that may pose national security, economic, public health, and safety risks. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will develop rigorous standards to ensure that AI systems are secure and trustworthy prior to their public release. The order also builds on the Biden-Harris Administration Artificial Intelligence Cyber Challenge (AIxCC) with a cybersecurity program that encourages the adoption of AI tools to flag and mitigate vulnerabilities in critical software.
2) Emphasizes Privacy & Data Protection
The Biden Administration’s order is developing programs that will evaluate and develop best practices for federal agencies to protect data privacy for Americans. This program will fund the creation of a Research Coordination Network which will collaborate closely with the National Science Foundation to encourage widespread adoption of cutting-edge privacy technologies by federal agencies. This order also requires that federal agencies be provided with stronger guidance on how they collect and use commercially available information in order to mitigate the risks posed by AI.
3) Advances Equity & Civil Rights
The Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights identifies algorithmic discrimination as an emerging area that undermines equality and civil rights. Guidelines and best practices will be developed to help ensure that AI is used responsibly in the criminal justice system, benefits programs, federal contractors, landlords, and in workplaces. Federal law enforcement agencies will be equipped with the knowledge, skills, and tools to properly investigate and prosecute civil rights violations that involve the use of AI.
4) Advocates for Patients, Workers & Consumers
Society enjoys real benefits from AI applications — including improved healthcare research and delivery, greater productivity, and more personalized experiences in several settings. However, AI brings with it increased workplace surveillance, bias, and potential for discrimination in medical, employment, consumer, and educational settings. The White House Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence benefits workers by defining guiding principles and best practices to ensure employers do not misuse AI to exploit or discriminate against workers. It also establishes a budget to ensure that AI is used effectively and ethically for the development of lifesaving healthcare treatments and to correct healthcare practices.
5) Promotes American Leadership in AI Innovation & Fosters Competition
This order, along with others issued in recent years, fosters breakthrough innovation by authorizing pilot programs, grants and education opportunities. It also emphasizes the need for international, multi-disciplinary collaboration to ensure that the future of AI is safe and trustworthy everywhere. To this end, the State and Commerce Departments will lead international efforts to institute effective frameworks and accelerate the creation of crucial international AI standards that will mitigate risks while still allowing people to take advantage of AI’s many benefits.
The executive order’s standards, best practices, and principles lay a strong foundation for developing responsible, equitable AI systems. The U.S., in collaboration with international partners, aims to ensure that AI is trustworthy, upholds individual rights, and its fullest potential is maximized to support critical global initiatives. AI is still in its early stages, but this Bill marks an important milestone.
Jennifer Mullen, Emerging Technology Solutions at Keysight Technologies (KEYS)
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