Vice President Kamala Harris announced action by the Biden administration to protect the privacy and civil rights of the American people from the government’s use of artificial intelligence.
According to a White House fact sheet:
Today, Vice President Kamala Harris announced that the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is issuing the first government-wide OMB policy to mitigate the risks of artificial intelligence (AI) and harness its benefits, offering a fundamental approach. component of President Biden’s historic executive order on artificial intelligence. The Order has directed sweeping action to strengthen the safety and security of AI, protect the privacy of Americans, promote fairness and civil rights, defend consumers and workers, promote innovation and competition, promote American leadership in the world and more. Federal agencies reported completing all 150-day actions assigned by the EO, building on their previous success in completing all 90-day actions.
This multifaceted direction to federal departments and agencies builds on the Biden-Harris Administration’s record of ensuring America is at the forefront of responsible AI innovation. In recent weeks, OMB announced that the President’s Budget invests in agencies’ ability to responsibly develop, test, procure, and integrate transformative AI applications across the federal government.
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By December 1, 2024, federal agencies will be required to implement concrete safeguards when using AI in ways that could impact the rights or safety of Americans. These safeguards include a series of mandatory actions to reliably assess, test, and monitor the impacts of AI on the public, mitigate risks of algorithmic discrimination, and provide the public with transparency into how the government uses AI. These protections apply to a wide range of AI applications, from healthcare and education to employment and housing.
Vice President Kamala Harris announces protections on the government’s use of artificial intelligence
Vice President Harris explained to PoliticusUSA during a call with reporters how the Biden administration prioritizes privacy when the government uses artificial intelligence.
Harris said:
We are announcing new standards to protect the rights and safety when government agencies use artificial intelligence tools, now we will require them to verify that those tools do not endanger the rights and safety of the American people.
I’ll give you an example. If the Veterans Administration wanted to use AI in VA hospitals to help doctors diagnose patients, it would first have to demonstrate that AI does not produce racially biased diagnoses. So I offer this as an example. The second binding requirement concerns transparency. The American people have the right to know when and how their government uses artificial intelligence, and that it is used responsibly. And we want to do it in a way that holds leaders accountable for responsible use of AI. Transparency, often and we believe should facilitate accountability.
And so today, President Biden and I ask that each year U.S. government agencies publish online a list of their artificial intelligence systems and an assessment of the risks those systems might pose and how those risks are being managed. Third and final requirement relating to internal supervision. We have directed all federal agencies to designate an AI chief with the experience, expertise, and authority to oversee everything. I will emphasize that all AI technologies used by that agency, and this is to ensure that AI is used responsibly, understanding that we must have senior leaders throughout our government, who are specifically tasked with overseeing the adoption and the use of AI.
While Trump and the Republicans take away freedoms and rights, Biden and the Democrats use the power of government to protect rights.
Remember the Patriot Act and the violations of Americans’ privacy and rights that were introduced after 9/11? Instead, the Biden-Harris administration is using the power of government to protect rights.
The Biden administration has proven to be very forward-thinking in terms of policy, and its commitment to protecting rights and freedoms has better positioned America in a rapidly changing modern world.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a member of the White House press pool and a congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a bachelor’s degree in political science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
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