The Biden administration will take action to protect the public from AI threats

The White House has unveiled its opening policy to manage the risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI).

According to a White House memo on March 28, federal agencies must appoint an AI officer within 60 days, define the use of AI, and integrate countermeasures.

This guidance is consistent with the executive order of United States President Joe Biden effective October 2023. In a teleconference with reporters, Vice President Kamala Harris said:

“I believe that all leaders from government, civil society and the private sector have a moral, ethical and societal obligation to embrace artificial intelligence and develop it in a way that protects society from potential harm and benefits everyone to its fullest potential.”

The latest rule, an initiative of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), aims to guide the safe and effective use of artificial intelligence across the federal government as it rapidly expands.

Even as the government tries to harness the potential of AI, the Biden administration is also wary of the growing threats.

As noted in the memo, some AI use cases, particularly those within the Department of Defense, are not required to be disclosed in the inventory because sharing is contrary to existing laws and government-wide policies.

By Dec. 1, agencies must establish specific safeguards for AI applications that could affect the rights or safety of Americans. For example, travelers should have the option to opt out of facial recognition technology used by the Transportation Security Administration at airports.

Related: Biden administration announces key AI measures after executive order

Agencies that cannot implement these safeguards should stop using AI systems unless agency leadership can determine how doing so would increase risks to security or privileges, or impede critical agency operations.

OMB's latest AI guidelines are consistent with the Biden administration's October 2022 “AI Bill of Rights” blueprint and the January 2023 National Institute of Standards and Technology's AI Risk Management Framework.

OMB requires resources to enforce compliance and best practices among government contractors who provide technology. It later seeks to ensure alignment between agencies' AI contracts and policy by 2024.

The administration announced its intention to hire 100 AI experts to the government over the summer, as outlined in an October executive order called “Talent Enhancement.”

Magazine: Real AI use cases in crypto: Crypto-based AI markets and AI financial analysis