In a move hailed as a commitment to the future of technology, the Biden-Harris administration has announced significant strides in the artificial intelligence (AI) landscape, meeting all 180-day milestones set forth by a presidential executive order aimed at ensuring America remains at the forefront of AI development and regulation. The Executive Order, issued six months ago, called for an across-the-board approach to handle AI's multiple facets, including safety, security, and the equitable employment of the advancing technology, according to a press release from The White House.
Safety and security topped the list of priorities with the formation of a nucleic acid synthesis screening framework to avert the potential misuse of AI in creating hazardous biological materials, in conjunction with an in-depth study by multiple agencies and a DHS report recommending mitigations for the misuse of AI. Efforts to manage generative AI risks and dual-use foundation models were also cited as successes, with draft documents released for public comment. After the completion, agencies also progressed on other work tasked by the E.O over longer timeframes. Other accomplishments mentioned include the initiation of the AI Safety and Security Board and AI pilot tools targeting safety in critical infrastructure and software vulnerabilities. This focus on infrastructure encompassed the groundwork for much-needed AI safety and security guidelines.
On the front of labor and civil rights, the administration's measures were geared towards safeguarding workers, consumers, and ensuring nondiscriminatory practices. A new strategy was developed to enforce safe and empowering AI deployment by employers receiving federal funding, and the Department of Labor issued guides to assist federal contractors in navigating worker protection laws related to AI implementations. Furthermore, agencies like the Department of Housing and Urban Development released guidance ensuring AI's nondiscriminatory use in housing, and the Department of Health and Human Services applied nondiscrimination principles under the Affordable Care Act to AI tools used in patient care.
Embracing the beneficial potential of AI, federal agencies, spearheaded by the Department of Energy, have launched pilots and partnership programs to assess and optimize AI's impact on energy challenges, leveraging the technology to further clean energy initiatives. They also confronted the increasing energy needs driven by AI technologies, and a DOE report was published to outline the opportunities AI brings in this sector. Substantial progress was also made in procuring AI talent for government roles, with over 150 professionals onboarded to guide AI policies and program development, with the promise to hire more by the upcoming summer.
