The Biden Administration’s Executive Order on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence aims at navigating the vast and evolving landscape of AI. It outlines directives and initiatives designed to promote the development and responsible use of AI technologies while addressing a multitude of ethical and security considerations.
Read the Executive Order fact sheet here: FACT SHEET: President Biden Issues Executive Order on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence | The White House
Let’s break it down from the perspective of considerations for business and organizational leaders.
New Standards for AI Safety and Security
The order sets a precedent for AI developers to share safety test results and other key metrics with the federal government. Red-team testing, essentially a simulated attack on the AI to assess vulnerabilities, will now be rigorous and standardized by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This lays the groundwork for AI applications to be held accountable for their actions and aims to elevate the public’s trust in the technology.
Considerations from Future Point of View: For business executives, it’s paramount to be proactive. Leadership should consider starting the formal journey into AI use with a workshop to best forecast what the organization would benefit from with AI. Then All organizations should begin to create a committee or committees to develop an AI strategy. In the FPOV Humalogy® Trends Report, 75% of organizations do not currently have an AI strategy. The committee(s) should have a charter to assist in establishing the right scope. Next, organizations should develop a risk governance process and how to conduct active assessments on the AI systems in use.
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Protecting Americans’ Privacy
The Biden administration makes a call to Congress to pass bipartisan data privacy legislation, further underscoring the crucial role that data plays in AI’s functionality and the need for privacy-preserving technologies. The focus here is twofold—advancing privacy-preserving research and ensuring that federal agencies follow privacy guidelines.
Considerations from Future Point of View: Executives should be wary of the pitfalls of neglecting data privacy. Adopt risk-based methodologies of what materials are provided to AI systems, and what information is used from AI systems as if it was your own and keep abreast with evolving privacy laws. 18 states now have AI laws that have been passed and 10 more states are working on specific language for additional laws. This does not include all of the regulatory agencies that are creating their own requirements.
Advancing Equity and Civil Rights
There’s an acknowledgment of AI’s potential to perpetuate or even exacerbate existing social and economic inequities. Measures such as clear guidance to landlords and federal programs aim to counter algorithmic discrimination and promote equity and civil rights.
Considerations from Future Point of View: Promoting unbiased AI solutions can place businesses at the forefront of ethical innovation. Executives should understand the nature of bias as it relates to the training of the data sets and the continuous learning cycle of AI systems to conduct regular risk assessments and ensure that decisions do not create any unfair bias. Organizations should also implement ethics guidelines for building or implementing AI tools.
Supporting Workers
The administration plans to produce reports and principles to guide the future of work as it’s impacted by AI. This includes guidance on issues ranging from job displacement to data collection in the workplace.
Considerations from Future Point of View: There are many forecasts that indicate as much as 40% of the tasks we do today will be done by AI systems by 2030. Organizations should emphasize transparency in their AI processes, will need to determine how many employees can adjust to this new world while still bolstering brand loyalty and satisfaction amongst consumers and clients.
Promoting Innovation and Competition
The order underscores America’s leadership in AI innovation, providing avenues for research, assistance to small developers, and streamlined visa procedures for skilled AI experts. This reflects a clear intent to maintain a competitive edge in the global AI landscape.
Considerations from Future Point of View: Business leaders should cultivate a culture of innovation within their organizations. This includes understanding the difference between incremental innovation, disruptive innovation, radical innovation, and crisis-driven innovation and the return on those investments. These need to then be compared to the level of innovation efforts undertaken by competitors. In the FPOV Humalogy® Trends Report, 64% of organizations believe the biggest AI risk is that other companies will use it better and faster than they do.
Advancing American Leadership Abroad
The executive order looks beyond domestic issues, advocating for international cooperation to develop AI safety standards. This is a nod to the global nature of AI’s challenges and opportunities.
Considerations from Future Point of View: For executives with a global footprint, aligning with various international efforts will become important. There are over 15 countries that have ongoing efforts to legislate artificial intelligence. American AI leadership can open doors in international markets, however, for international organizations or organizations that employ foreign workers it will be imperative to keep up with the evolving regulations across the globe.
Ensuring Responsible and Effective Government Use of AI
Lastly, the government itself is urged to adopt AI in a manner that’s safe, effective, and respects civil liberties. This includes a hiring surge of AI professionals to help the government stay current with technology.
Considerations from Future Point of View: Businesses seeking to collaborate with government entities should ensure their AI solutions align with public interests. It will be crucial to correspond with the evolving criteria for organizations looking to win government contracts, both in AI-specific and broader engagements.
This executive order serves as a testament to the growing importance of AI in every facet of society. It echoes the urgency to create a framework that is both progressive and ethically grounded. It’s an ambitious roadmap that reflects the importance organizational leaders should be placing on artificial intelligence.
Here are some Future Point of View resources to aid in your AI journey:
Important AI Strategy Questions for Leaders
Need help crafting an AI strategy for your organization? Reach out to info@fpov.com to learn about our AI Strategy Workshop.
About the Author
Hart Brown is the CEO of Future Point of View and the Security and Risk Practice Lead. He is a widely known expert and trusted advisor in the governance of risk and resilience with over 20 years of experience across a broad spectrum of organizations in both the public and private sectors. He is a Certified Ethical Hacker and a Qualified Risk Director. Learn more about Hart Brown.