The current stage of artificial intelligence (AI) provokes as much or more fear than hope. It is like that unexplored territory that does not know what risks its colonization entails.
The uncertainty it generates led the President of the United States, Joe Biden, to announce this Monday an executive order requiring the developers of these powerful systems to share internal test data, usually private, with the government.
His argument emphasizes that this is a prevention to guarantee that these findings cannot be used to produce biological and nuclear weapons. It consists of anticipating possible risks to national security and citizens, including their privacy, the economy and the health of the country. “These measures will ensure that systems are secure and reliable before companies make them public,” says the text of that White House regulation.
This analysis requirement is a central part of what Biden, in the appearance for the signing, highlighted as the first federal regulation of AI. He described this regulation as “the most radical actions ever taken to protect Americans from the potential risks of artificial intelligence systems.”
Experts pointed out that it is an important step forward to promote transparency, something that is not well received by a secret industry. The US executive had until now worked on a series of voluntary commitments on the news before being launched to avoid misinformation or racism.
The regulation, in which a call is made to Congress to approve legislation on the matter, also incorporates recommendations, but not the obligation, that the photos, videos and audios developed by these systems must bear the labeling that they have been created using AI. This reflects growing fears that artificial intelligence will facilitate identity fraud.
The document expresses the need to prevent and accelerate techniques to protect privacy and evaluate how personal data is collected and the use made of commercial files that already exist. The prevention is also indicated that “the indiscriminate use of AI can lead to greater discrimination.”
According to Bruce Reed, Biden's deputy chief of staff, this is the strongest set of actions that any other government has taken in AI to provide security and confidence to users. “It is the next step in an aggressive strategy to do everything possible on all fronts to realize the benefits of AI and mitigate the risks,” Reed stressed.
The announcement of this order came just two days before the meeting of world leaders called for this week by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Vice President Kamala Harris will be the US representatives.
