On October 30, 2023, President Biden signed the Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence—described as a "landmark" AI Executive Order to manage the risks of artificial intelligence (AI) while cementing America's place as a global AI leader.
But what does this Executive Order tell us about the U.S. government's thoughts on AI? Below, we've outlined some of the directives from the AI Executive Order that may have a particularly significant impact on legal professionals, along with our thoughts on what this AI Executive Order suggests about the future use of AI in America.
The AI Executive Order at a glance
The AI Executive Order has far-reaching implications, ranging from America's impact abroad to equity and inclusion. Below, we've highlighted some of the key takeaways which provide insights into the U.S. government's vision for the future of AI.
AI safety and security
While AI's capabilities have the potential to transform many facets of American life, the AI Executive Order also recognizes the implications for American safety and security. To mitigate the potential risks of AI systems, the AI Executive Order directs that:
Developers of the most powerful AI systems must share safety test results and other critical information with the U.S. government.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology will set guidelines to develop standards, tools, and tests to help ensure the safety and trustworthiness of AI systems.
Standards and best practices must be established for authenticating "real" content while detecting AI-generated content to protect Americans from AI-enabled fraud.
Advanced cybersecurity programs will be established to develop AI tools to find and fix vulnerabilities in critical software.
The AI Executive Order's directions relating to safety and security are wide-ranging. Interestingly, these directions appear to cover two critical aspects of safety and security: Ensuring that AI use is done safely and securely while directing organizations to harness the potential of AI to increase safety and security in critical areas.
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