The White House announced Thursday its plan to promote responsible use of artificial intelligence through a focus on government-funded research and cooperation with tech companies.
The plan has three core aspects: $140 million in federal funding to launch seven new artificial intelligence research institutes, a requirement for federal agencies to draft guidelines on safe government use of artificial intelligence, and a commitment from top tech companies to participate in a public evaluation of artificial intelligence systems.
“AI is one of the most powerful technologies of our time, but in order to seize the opportunities it presents, we must first mitigate its risks,” a White House press released stated. “President Biden has been clear that when it comes to AI, we must place people and communities at the center by supporting responsible innovation that serves the public good, while protecting our society, security, and economy. Importantly, this means that companies have a fundamental responsibility to make sure their products are safe before they are deployed or made public.”
The plan comes ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris’ meeting Thursday with executives at Google, Microsoft, OpenAI and Anthropic to discuss safe use of artificial intelligence.
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The new federal funding in the plan comes through the National Science Foundation, an independent federal agency, and brings the total number of AI Research Institutes in the U.S. to 25.
“These Institutes catalyze collaborative efforts across institutions of higher education, federal agencies, industry, and others to pursue transformative AI advances that are ethical, trustworthy, responsible, and serve the public good,” a White House press release stated.
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The Office of Management and Budget will release draft policy guidance on the use of artifical intelligence by the U.S. government, which will allow for public comments. Federal agencies will then establish guidelines for artificial intelligence based on feedback.
The White House, in its plan, touted an independent commitment from an extensive list of tech companies to “participate in a public evaluation of AI systems, consistent with responsible disclosure principles.”
Concerns over artificial intelligence escalated late last year after the launch of ChatGPT. The first significant course of action from the White House on the issue was its “AI Bill of Rights” that focused on minimizing bias and discrimination from artificial intelligence programs.