Washington, D.C. — Today, President Joe Biden is expected to sign an executive order on safe, secure, and trustworthy artificial intelligence (AI). The order includes many of the principles that the Center for American Progress has been calling for since April, including an all-of-government approach to AI that encompasses the framework of the 2022 AI Bill of Rights. In response, Alondra Nelson, a distinguished senior fellow at CAP who previously played a leading role in developing the AI Bill of Rights, issued the following statement:
This ambitious executive order offers the guidance we need to ensure that AI will be developed and used in a safe and effective manner. The Biden administration should be commended for acting quickly, decisively, and within the full range of its authority to issue an order that addresses the potential harms that AI poses, especially to vulnerable and marginalized communities.
AI tools and systems should enhance the lives of the public. Industry can be held to account through transparency measures. This order ensures that consumers know when AI systems are in use through watermarking and other content authentication mechanisms for automated systems and synthetic media. It’s important that this transparency starts with the government’s acknowledgement of its own use of these tools. Workplaces must respect and inspire American workers, using products that embody our principles of equality, ensure our freedoms, and protect our rights. The future of AI should not be guided solely by industry and profit motives.
Now comes the essential work of implementing the executive order. Important guardrails, including but not limited to privacy protections, will only be able to be put in place by Congress. CAP looks forward to supporting the administration and lawmakers as they see these ambitious commitments through to implementation, making them durable for the American public and the world.
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For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected].