The White House announced these actions in a May 23 fact sheet.
The announcement follows a U.S. Senate hearing on AI last week, in which stakeholders debated whether to regulate the technology and how to best guide responsible AI practices.
Three primary announcements are highlighted in the fact sheet.
The first is the release of an updated road map to focus federal investment in AI research and development. It marks the first update since 2019.
The road map, which was developed by experts across the federal government with the support of public input, outlines key priorities for federal investments. It underlines that federal investment in this space should promote innovation but must do so in a way that serves the public good, protects constituents’ rights and safety, and upholds democratic values.
The road map offers nine strategies regarding AI to address several key matters in the country: cybersecurity, medicine advances, addressing inequities and improving efficiency of critical sectors.
The second announcement is that the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has issued a request for information (RFI) in an effort to use public input to better understand the national priorities for reducing AI risks while leveraging this technology to better constituents’ lives. Individuals and organizations interested in submitting comments must do so by 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on July 7, 2023.
Because OSTP will also use information from five related RFIs, those who have already submitted information to one of them, such as the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Request for Comment on AI Accountability Policy, need not do so again.
Finally, a report from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology explores both the risks and opportunities related to AI in education.
This comprehensive report explores potential applications of AI in the education space, from both a learning and teaching perspective, as well as its role in formative assessment. The report defines AI, explores what ethical use of AI might look like, underlines the importance of research and development, and offers recommendations.
These announcements follow previous actions that the Biden-Harris administration has taken in this space, such as the October 2022 Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights — which stakeholders have referred to as “mile one of a long marathon.”
In addition, the administration last week convened AI stakeholders from the private sector for a briefing to understand security concerns as related to AI systems and information.
Federal government officials are expected to continue discussions of AI.
The U.S. Senate hearing on the topic of AI last week was the second in a planned series, according to Sen. Gary C. Peters, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
"We should work to ensure that government can adopt and deploy these tools to help improve American lives, but as we do so, we must ensure that we are prepared to address the potential risks and harms AI systems can present," Peters said in his opening statement at the hearing.
