Will Biden’s AI Executive Order Stay in Effect During Trump’s Presidency?
Before its term ends, the Biden administration continues implementing the Biden AI executive order, spearheaded by Arati Prabhakar, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Signed in 2023, the order established safety guidelines for technology companies, reflecting how Prabhakar played a crucial role in developing Biden’s executive order on AI to advance transparent and secure AI development.
Prabhakar’s departure coincides with the Trump administration’s unclear stance on AI, with some party voices opposing the White House AI executive order.
Former President, and current President elect. Trump criticized the order himself back in July, claiming it stifles innovation and promotes “Radical Leftwing ideas” on AI. All while Elon Musk, who expressed fears about doomsday AI scenarios, has pushed for regulations to make intelligent technology safer.
On the other hand, the Biden AI executive order emerged from issues like the misapplication of AI for biological weapons that turned out to be less critical than imagined.
Biden’s executive order on AI reflects on how AI risks, once considered theoretical, have occurred in alarming ways. “When large language models first emerged, we anticipated deepfakes and image-based sexual abuse would be major risks, and unfortunately, that has come true,” she said.
Addressing these issues, she collaborated with the Gender Policy Council to urge tech companies to act rapidly, saying that “there are actions payment processors can take to prevent their platforms from supporting harmful content.”
AI Executive Order Backing National Security
Prabhakar also talked about how to build confidence in the technologies of AI, mainly in security and the rule of law. She also referred to a number of controversial facial recognition applications that have had serious consequences, like wrongful detentions.
But she also noticed responsible face recognition at an airport where technology effectively matched faces to IDs but with considerations for privacy, images got deleted.
“I think when AI is used responsibly, it can be a powerful tool for good,” she said, emphasizing on the importance of the AI executive order.
US Talent and Immigration Policies
Prabhakar, who immigrated to the US from India, stressed the importance of attracting global talent to the AI US sector. While acknowledging the complexities of US China relations and the need for national security measures, she emphasized that the US must remain open to immigrants who can contribute to its technological leadership.
“The long-standing stall in immigration policy is collateral damage for the STEM fields,” Prabhakar said.
Prabhakar further elaborated on how broken the trust in science and AI technology had become, particularly in health policy and how Biden’s executive order on AI brings back this trust. Despite having world-leading biomedical research, the US experiences poor health outcomes world results that has helped give rise to conspiracy theories and a lack of public trust.
“The scientific community needs to demonstrate that public investments in research can improve lives,” the Director added.
Final Thoughts
The Biden executive order on AI, headed and backed by Arati Prabhakar, is a key, much-needed step in shaping US AI policy. While its voluntary nature may limit immediate impact it does set a precedent for establishing ethical guidelines and transparency within the rapidly evolving AI sector.
Biden AI executive order places emphasis on safety, accountability, and collaboration with the private sector to try to mitigate risks, from deepfakes to biased algorithms, while fostering innovation. It will provide the foundation on which future US administrations will address AI policy as they fight with the complicated issue of AI governance.
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