President Biden Issues First-Ever US Directive on Artificial Intelligence Development and Regulation

President of the United States, Joe Biden, has issued the country's first-ever directive on handling artificial intelligence. The document specifically calls for new security assessments, adherence to principles of equality and civil rights, and research into AI's impact on the job market, as reported by CNBC.

The directive requires large companies to share the results of safety tests with the US government before the official release of AI systems. It also prioritizes the National Institute of Standards and Technology in developing standards for AI "red teaming" or stress-testing protection and potential issues within systems. Overall, the directive contains eight provisions:

• Creation of new security and protection standards for AI, including requiring AI development companies to share safety test results with the federal government, assigning the Department of Commerce to develop guidelines for AI watermarking, and establishing a cybersecurity program for detecting vulnerabilities in critical software.
• Consumer privacy protection, including the development of guiding principles that agencies can use to evaluate privacy protection methods.
• Promotion of equality and civil rights by providing recommendations to avoid discrimination through AI algorithms and defining the proper role of AI in the justice system, including in sentencing, risk assessment, and crime forecasting.
• General consumer protection by assigning the Department of Health and Human Services to create a program to assess potentially harmful AI-related healthcare practices and providing resources on responsible AI tool usage for educators.
• Support for workers by preparing a report on the potential impact of AI on the job market and exploring ways the federal government can support workers.
• Encouragement of innovation and competition by expanding research grants for AI in areas such as climate change and modernizing criteria for highly skilled immigrant workers with essential knowledge who are eligible to stay in the US.
• Collaboration with international partners to implement AI standards worldwide.
  
  

Development of guidance for federal agencies on AI use and procurement and expediting government hiring of qualified professionals in this field.According to Deputy Chief of Staff Bruce Reed, this directive represents the most comprehensive package of measures ever taken by any government in the world concerning AI security, protection, and trust.

It's worth noting that the European Union is considering strengthening regulations on large artificial intelligence models, including Meta's Llama 2 and OpenAI's GPT-4. Additional restrictions are currently being discussed within the framework of future AI legislation. EU countries aim to exert control over major players without burdening startups.