Biden teases forthcoming executive order on AI

CNN
 — 

The White House plans to introduce a highly anticipated executive order in the coming weeks dealing with artificial intelligence, President Joe Biden said Wednesday.

“This fall, I’m going to take executive action, and my administration is going to continue to work with bipartisan legislation,” Biden said, “so America leads the way toward responsible AI innovation.”

Biden offered no details on the contents of the coming order, which the White House had first announced in July. But his remarks offer greater insight into his administration’s timing.

Biden’s signing of the order would build on an earlier administration proposal for an “AI Bill of Rights.” Civil society groups have urged the Biden administration to require federal agencies to implement the AI Bill of Rights as part of any executive order on the technology. Meanwhile, the US Senate is continuing to educate lawmakers on artificial intelligence in preparation for months of legislative work on the issue.

In Wednesday’s remarks during a meeting of the Presidential Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, Biden described the recent conversations he’s had with AI leaders and experts.

“Vast differences exist among them in terms of what potential it has, what dangers there are, and so, I have a keen interest in AI,” Biden said. “I’ve convened key experts on how to harness the power of artificial intelligence for good while protecting people from the profound risk it also presents.”

“We can’t kid ourselves,” Biden continued. “[There is] profound risk if we don’t do it well.”

Biden reiterated the United States’ commitment to working with international partners including the United Kingdom on developing safeguards for artificial intelligence.

The meeting also saw presidential advisers showcasing to Biden several use cases for artificial intelligence. Maria Zuber, the panel’s co-chair, said the examples Biden would see during the meeting would include the use of AI to predict extreme weather linked to climate change; to “create materials that have properties we’ve never been able to create before”; and to “understand the origins of the universe, which is literally as big as it gets.”