The Biden administration has made a critical announcement on October 30, 2023 by putting forth an elaborate as well as broad set of rules and guidelines for AI regulation throughout the US.
The executive order not just puts forth attention to the country’s’ stance when it comes to AI, but it also goes on to offer a fragmented approach, which may lead to discord across different departments.
What is the significance of the executive order when it comes to AI regulation?
The order portrays a model for guiding the AI market away from completely relying on the elements of self-regulation. A number of government departments, such as Department of Commerce as well as the Department of Defense, will inspect large companies, including the Amazons, Googles, and OpenAI’s of the world.
The action goes on to take care of numerous areas of concern that happen to be related to AI, with specific thrust on civil rights, equity, and at the same time, privacy. There is a growing spotlight on the creation of privacy-preserving processes, majorly in the field of cryptography. It is crucial and imperative to establish a framework so as to address breaches in data in order to safeguard privacy of individuals across the US. Given the hazards that are associated with AI and the rising incentives for the businesses in terms of utilizing data when it comes to AI systems, it is crucial to prioritize this matter.
The executive order also looks forward to put forth the issue of algorithmic discrimination. It is well to be noted that AI has been hampered by issues pertaining to racial as well as gender bias for a significant period of time, and there are some who suggest that the problem comes from naturally biased data, while there are others who argue that it is due to the way the issue has been taken by individuals. One major aspect happens to be emphasis on promoting fairness in the criminal justice system.
This suggests that AI will most likely be used in significant areas of the court system, such as the sentence and also risk assessments. The order also puts forth many workforce-related challenges, like the need for enhanced practices that not only reduce the negative impact of AI on job displacement but at the same time also optimise its potential benefits, thereby stressing its significance in terms of innovation.
Executing a uniform approach to AI all across the US may be an uphill task due to the varying viewpoints as well as agendas of numerous government departments. There are escalating worries that these departments may become stressed due to AI rules, leading to a lack of an impact that’s tangible. The absence of a federal data privacy law in the US could pose an issue if a consistent as well as unified approach to addressing this issue is not taken care of.
How does this regulatory framework compare to others?
The EU as well China have different approaches when it comes to Artificial Intelligence. China happens to be adopting a vertical approach, which happens to focus on taking out specific issues such as deep synthesis, while the EU adopts a more horizontal approach by putting forth an overall framework that sets guidelines and norms for a wide range of AI applications.
The US has also gone on to embrace a decentralized approach, thereby looking to establish regulations on exclusive use cases that happen to be concerned to AI. Despite their differing approaches, the US and China look aligned in their efforts in order to advance AI innovation. This alignment can be attributed to their competent trait and shared aspiration to be the leading countries when it comes to artificial intelligence. In contrast, the EU has gone on to adopt a risk-based technique, which focuses on pinpointing specific levels of risks associated with AI applications.
What outcomes does all this have for the rest of the world?
The rise of generative AI has prominently transformed the worldwide technological landscape. Regulators from across the world are presently working on designing as well as executing legislation that’s concerned to AI in order to keep up with the rapid pace of technological advancements. The executive order issued gives out a clear as well as a powerful message to the international community, emphasizing the requirement to give importance to the regulation of AI moving forward.
Apparently, the UK is a country that notably lacks AI regulation. Its Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has indicated that he does not feel a sense of urgency so as to regulate AI. Given the immense power and disruptive nature of AI, this stand looks to be neglectful. The executive order issued by the US has the capacity to impact the UK’s stance on AI and potentially push it to align with other powers in creating a regulatory framework when it comes to AI.
