President Biden is set to sign a groundbreaking executive order today that the White House is calling a “landmark” move to safeguard Americans from potential risks posed by AI systems. The order includes several measures, among which is a requirement for AI developers to share their safety-test results, known as red-team testing, with the federal government. This move aims to ensure that AI systems are safe, secure, and trustworthy before they are made available to the public.
The White House states that companies developing any foundation model that poses a serious risk to national security, national economic security, or national public health and safety must notify the federal government during the model training process and share the results of all red-team safety tests. To ensure rigorous standards for extensive red-team testing are met, the National Institute of Standards and Technology will be responsible for setting these standards.
The Department of Homeland Security will apply these standards to critical infrastructure sectors and establish the AI Safety and Security Board. The Departments of Energy and Homeland Security will also address threats posed by AI systems to critical infrastructure, as well as chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and cybersecurity risks.
Addressing concerns about job displacement due to AI, the executive order will also produce a report on AI’s potential impacts on the labor market and explore options for strengthening federal support for workers facing AI-related disruptions.
Additionally, the order is aimed at protecting Americans from AI-enabled fraud by establishing standards and best practices to distinguish between AI-generated and authentic content. The Department of Commerce will develop guidance for content authentication and watermarking, making it easier for Americans to identify authentic communications from the government.
These actions by the White House follow the Senate’s first-ever bipartisan AI forum held last month. The executive order acknowledges that further action will be required, and the Administration plans to work with Congress to pursue bipartisan legislation to ensure responsible innovation in the AI field.