Early Monday morning, the White House announced President Biden unveiled a wide-ranging executive order on artificial intelligence – the first of its kind. This comes after tech billionaires, such as Elon Musk, have called for a “regulatory structure” for AI due to risks to civilization.
The order is broad and aims to establish new standards for AI safety and security, protect Americans’ privacy, advance equity and civil rights, stand up for consumers and workers, promote innovation and competition, and position the US to lead the global AI race.
On Sunday, a White House official, who asked not to be named, told NBC News that AI has so many factors that effective regulations must be broad.
“AI policy is like running into a decathlon, and there’s 10 different events here.
“And we don’t have the luxury of just picking ‘we’re just going to do safety’ or ‘we’re just going to do equity’ or ‘we’re just going to do privacy.’ You have to do all of these things,” the official said.
The order uses the Defense Production Act, mandating that tech firms must inform the government when developing any AI system that could pose risks to national security, national economic security, or national public health and safety.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Bruce Reed told NBC the order represents “the strongest set of actions any government in the world has ever taken on AI safety, security, and trust.”
Hellbound and Down 