The Biden Administration Highlights its Significant Advancements in Artificial Intelligence
The Biden Administration Highlights its Significant Advancements in Artificial Intelligence
The White House announced on Wednesday that federal agencies have fulfilled their commitments under the Biden administration's first-year AI executive order.
The sudden growth of advanced AI systems within the last two years caught several federal agencies off guard. Consequently, the 2023 executive order was issued to modernize the government's internal operations, enabling agencies to responsibly utilize AI systems, regardless of their type, and regulate them within their respective domains.
A crucial aspect of the executive order was establishing some government oversight over tech companies developing the most potent AI systems. In its official statement on Wednesday, the White House boasted about its achievements in this area. The Department of Commerce has entered agreements with OpenAI and Anthropic, allowing the agency to test the companies' new models prior to their release, and under a proposed regulation, other developers will be obligated to share the results of their safety tests with the department on a quarterly basis.
This work is part of a broader initiative within the Commerce Department, through its AI Safety Institute, to establish standard testing procedures and risk reduction measures for models. At present, there's limited agreement on when and how to assess emerging models, and practices vary among developers.
Over the past year, other federal agencies have developed new regulations and guidelines for organizations that utilize AI systems.
The Department of Health and Human Services began analyzing instances of harmful AI usage in healthcare systems and finalized rules for employing AI in clinical settings, as well as to prevent discrimination in medical algorithms.
The Department of Labor, Department of Education, and housing regulators also published AI toolkits and best practices for the entities they oversee.
The White House reported that the federal government has recruited over 250 AI specialists as part of a strategic "talent surge" and established a Chief AI Officers' Council to share resources and collaborate between agencies.
However, many of the most critical objectives outlined in the 2023 executive order require extended efforts.
Notably, a new policy from the Office of Management and Budget requires most agencies to enforce stringent policies for assessing, purchasing, utilizing, and monitoring their AI tools. If agencies implement these new guidelines effectively and reliably, they could significantly impact the caliber of AI systems developed for commercial markets.
Of course, these long-term plans could be altered based on next month's presidential election results. Donald Trump has included "eliminating the AI executive order" in his campaign platform.
The upcoming years promise significant advancements in AI technology, given the White House's focus on AI regulation. The anticipated regulations from the Office of Management and Budget could significantly impact the quality of AI systems in commercial markets.
As we look towards the future, the tech industry should prioritize AI safety, aligning with the federal government's expectations and the new guidelines from various agencies.