The order follows passage of several laws in recent years on AI and federal agencies. Image: 3rdtimeluckystudio/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffAn executive order sets a series of requirements for federal agencies on use of artificial intelligence, saying that while AI “can expand agencies’ capacity to regulate, govern and disburse benefits, and it can cut costs and enhance the security of government systems,” it also “can pose risks, such as discrimination and unsafe decisions.”
The requirements are part of a wide-ranging order addressing issues such as disclosure of safety test results on systems that could affect national security; standards for ensuring that systems are safe, secure and trustworthy; protections against fraud and deceptive content; use of AI to find and fix vulnerabilities in software; and more.
For federal agencies, the order requires the development of guidelines on the ethical use of AI by the military and intelligence communities; guidelines for agencies to evaluate the effectiveness of privacy-preserving techniques; and an evaluation of how agencies collect and use commercially available information. OMB is to issue guidance “to strengthen the effective and appropriate use of AI, advance AI innovation, and manage risks from AI in the federal government” and each agency is to appoint a chief artificial intelligence officer to oversee compliance.
The order also calls on agencies to “accelerate the rapid hiring of AI professionals as part of a government-wide AI talent surge led by the Office of Personnel Management, U.S. Digital Service, U.S. Digital Corps, and Presidential Innovation Fellowship. Agencies will provide AI training for employees at all levels in relevant fields,” says a White House fact sheet.
The order follows passage of several laws in recent years on AI and federal agencies, including a 2020 law that required the issuance of much of the same type of guidance contained in the order, and 2022 laws to requiring that federal employees responsible for purchasing and managing AI capabilities be better trained on the capabilities and risks of those technologies and requiring that agencies disclose the AI systems they are using.
Several additional bills are pending in Congress, including to require agencies to notify individuals when they are interacting with or subject to decisions made using automated systems, and to establish an appeals process with human review of AI-generated decisions.
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