Pres. Biden Issues Executive Order On A.I.

One thing is clear: To realize the promise of A.I. and avoid the risks, we need to govern this technology. There’s no other way around it, in my view.

United States President Joe Biden on an executive order he signed on Monday which creates safeguards around artificial intelligence. It is the first time the federal government has implemented regulations surrounding the constantly-evolving technology.

What Is Artificial Intelligence? “… a machine-based system that can, for a given set of human-defined objectives, make predictions, recommendations or decisions influencing real or virtual environments,” according to the National Artificial Intelligence Act of 2020.

Why It Matters: The U.S. is considered to be the leading country in the development of A.I technology. With President Biden’s executive order, the federal government is taking steps to be among the first countries to implement regulations to ensure A.I. can be used safely as the technology grows. While the order has limited scope (as President Biden “has broad powers to regulate how the federal government uses artificial intelligence” though “is less able to reach into the private sector”), Pres. Biden “made it clear that he intended the order to be the first step in a new era of regulation for the United States, as it seeks to put guardrails on a global technology that offers great promise … but also carries significant dangers” (The New York Times).

The order requires companies to report to the to the federal government about how their systems could possibly aid terrorist organizations or countries in making weapons of mass destruction. The order also aims to minimize the threat of “deep fakes,” which could trick consumers or sway elections. To read the executive order, click here.

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Biden Issues Executive Order to Create A.I. Safeguards (The New York Times)