Days after President Joe Biden signed the AI executive order, Vice President Kamala Harris announced the setup of the United States AI Safety Institute. Harris made the announcement at the UK AI Safety Summit.
What Happened: The US AI Safety Institute, among other initiatives announced, will be responsible for developing and publishing guidelines, benchmark tests, and best practices for examining potentially harmful AI systems.
The institute’s principal aim is to safeguard the American populace from potential threats posed by AI. This comes weeks after major tech leaders, including Tesla Inc.’s TSLA Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Satya Nadella, Mark Zuckerberg, and Sundar Pichai, among others, flew down to Washington to discuss AI regulations and called for an AI referee.
In her address, Harris stressed the importance of making sure AI developments protect citizens from potential harm while ensuring benefits for all. She also noted the potential risks posed by AI, ranging from large-scale cyber-attacks to the creation of AI-driven biological weapons.
Harris announced that the White House, in conjunction with the Department of Commerce, will oversee the establishment of the US AI Safety Institute within the NIST. The Institute will also offer guidance on AI-related issues, including content authentication and mitigating AI-induced discrimination.
Additionally, the Vice President disclosed plans for a virtual hackathon to combat AI-powered phone and internet scams, particularly those that target the elderly. Harris underscored the necessity of international collaboration in creating global standards for government-produced content authentication.
The Office of Management and Budget will also publish a draft policy for public comment concerning government AI use, intending to promote responsible AI innovation while protecting federal employees from excessive surveillance and job displacement.
Why It Matters: The announcement by Vice President Harris comes after President Biden signed an AI-focused executive order in October, aiming to increase safety in the AI space.
Tech giants such as Microsoft MSFT, Meta Platforms META, and Alphabet Inc.’s GOOG GOOGL Google pledged voluntary commitments to the government to deploy AI safely.
The executive order also raised eyebrows, particularly with Musk expressing concerns over the requirement for AI companies to "address algorithmic discrimination" and promote equity in the industry.
These new initiatives by Vice President Harris further emphasize the administration’s commitment to ensuring safety and fairness in the expanding field of AI.
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