Vice President Kamala Harris has announced actions by the Biden administration to safeguard the privacy and civil rights of the American people from the government's utilization of AI.
According to a White House Fact Sheet:
Today, Vice President Kamala Harris revealed that the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is issuing OMB’s initial policy spanning all government to reduce AI risks and utilize its benefits, fulfilling a key part of President Biden’s significant AI Executive Order. The Order called for comprehensive measures to enhance AI safety and security, safeguard Americans’ privacy, promote fairness and civil rights, advocate for consumers and workers, drive innovation and competition, bolster American leadership globally, and more. Federal agencies have confirmed the completion of all the 150-day tasks outlined in the E.O, following their prior success with all 90-day actions.
This extensive guidance to Federal departments and agencies builds on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to ensuring that the U.S. remains a pioneer in responsible AI advancement. Recently, OMB announced that the President’s Budget allocates resources to support agencies in responsibly developing, testing, procuring, and integrating revolutionary AI applications across the Federal Government.
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By December 1, 2024, Federal agencies will need to put in place specific protections when using AI in ways that could affect Americans’ rights or safety. These safeguards include a variety of obligatory measures to systematically evaluate, test, and oversee AI’s impacts on the public, mitigate the risks of algorithmic discrimination, and provide the public with insight into the government's use of AI. These protections apply to a broad spectrum of AI applications, from healthcare and education to employment and housing.
Vice President Kamala Harris Announces Safeguards On Government Use Of AI
Vice President Harris detailed to PoliticusUSA in a conversation with reporters the Biden administration’s focus on prioritizing privacy in the government's use of AI.
Harris stated:
We are introducing new standards to ensure the protection of rights and safety when government agencies employ AI tools. They will now be required to verify that those tools do not jeopardize the rights and safety of the American people.
I’ll give you an example. If the Veterans Administration wishes to utilize AI in VA hospitals to aid doctors in diagnosing patients, they must first demonstrate that AI does not generate racially biased diagnoses. That is just one example I can give. The second requirement pertains to transparency. The American people have the right to be informed about the responsible use of AI by their government. We aim to enforce accountability for the responsible use of AI through transparency, which should ultimately facilitate accountability.
Today, President Biden and I are mandating that every year, U.S. government agencies publish online a list of their AI systems and an assessment of the potential risks posed by those systems and how those risks are being managed. Additionally, the third and final requirement focuses on internal oversight. We have instructed all federal agencies to designate a chief AI officer with the requisite expertise, experience, and authority to oversee all AI technologies used by that agency, ensuring the responsible use of AI. This underscores the need for senior leaders throughout our government who are specifically tasked with supervising AI adoption and use.
As Trump and the Republicans are taking away freedom and rights, Biden and the Democrats are using the government's power to safeguard rights.
Remember the Patriot Act, and the breaches of Americans' privacy and rights that emerged after 9/11? In contrast, the Biden-Harris administration is leveraging the government's power to protect rights.
The Biden administration has shown itself to be very forward-thinking in terms of policy, and their dedication to safeguarding rights and freedoms has positioned America better in a rapidly changing modern world.
