Biden to sign executive order regulating AI use in federal government

U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to sign an executive order on artificial intelligence (AI) regulation, the Washington Post said on Oct. 24.

The order, which will likely be signed on Monday, Oct. 30, is said to have at least three goals. First, the order will require advanced AI models to undergo an assessment before they are used by the U.S. government and its federal workers. It is unclear which models this rule might apply to and which criteria the assessment might include.

Second, the order will task select U.S. agencies, including the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, and certain intelligence groups, with examining how they might use AI to improve national cybersecurity.

The executive order will additionally make it easier for skilled tech workers to immigrate to the U.S., according to the Washington Post.

Executive order may include fourth prong

Separate reports from Semafor dating back to Sept. 27 suggest that the order will require cloud firms to report how tech companies are making use of cloud computing resources. This rule is intended to detect foreign AI projects that could be a national threat.

Though the Wall Street Journal’s sources did not comment on that aspect of the executive order, reports from Politico on Oct. 12 suggest that this is still on track.

Some critics have expressed concerns that any surveillance effort that focuses on quantity-based monitoring of cloud computing resources could affect other non-AI industries, including game development and Bitcoin and cryptocurrency mining.

The specifics of the order, though supported by many sources, have not yet been finalized. Current reports indicate that details and timing are subject to change.

Aside from issuing the order itself, Biden and the White House will reportedly host an event titled “Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence” on Oct. 30. The U.S. president previously addressed the UN on AI regulation in September.