Legislators, business associations, civil rights groups, labour unions, and others went into overdrive after the Biden administration unveiled the first-ever executive order on artificial intelligence on Monday. They studied the 111-page document, noting deadlines, priorities, and what they saw as the broad implications of the historic move.
The fairness of AI is a central topic of discussion. According to numerous civil society leaders who spoke with CNBC, the order falls short of addressing the problems that AI models cause in the real world, particularly those that impact underprivileged groups. But they claim it’s an important step in the right direction.
While many civil society and tech industry groups applauded the executive order’s foundational elements—the White House’s draught AI bill of rights, which was made public in October of last year—they also urged Congress to enact legislation codifying protections and to better account for training and model development that prioritise AI fairness rather than addressing those harms after the fact.
The president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Maya Wiley, stated in a statement that “this executive order is a real step forward, but we must not allow it to be the only step.” “We still need Congress to take up legislation regulating AI and making sure that innovation makes us more rich, just, and fair, instead than silencing, surveilling, and stereotyping us.”
Although the American Civil Liberties Union has “deep concerns” about the executive order’s sections on national security and law enforcement, senior policy counsel Cody Venzke of the organisation thinks the order is a “crucial next step in centering equity, civil rights, and civil liberties in our national AI policy.”
The executive order specifically aims to “find areas where AI can boost law enforcement efficiency and accuracy,” as stated in the text, which worries the ACLU.
Source (CNBC)