CRACKDOWN

Biden Issues First Executive Order That Addresses AI Risks

Companies developing systems that could threaten national security will now have to share information with the government.

President Joe Biden on Monday issued his first executive order that seeks to address the potential risks to the U.S. posed by rapidly advancing artificial intelligence. The order includes a range of new measures intended to mitigate the potential consequences of the technology for Americans’ safety, privacy, and national security, among other areas of concern. Developers of the most powerful systems will now have to “share their safety test results and other critical information with the U.S. government,” while new governmental standards will be drawn up to ensure AI systems are “safe, secure, and trustworthy.” The Department of Commerce will also develop guidance designed to support content authentication and “watermarking to clearly label AI-generated content,” while separate guardrails will be implemented to protect “against the risks of using AI to engineer dangerous biological materials.”