Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios
Industry groups are at odds over whether any upcoming executive order should make the White House's AI Bill of Rights binding policy for the entire federal government.
Driving the news: The Biden administration last month committed to releasing an AI executive order.
- The White House's moves are meant to inform and complement congressional efforts to pass legislation with teeth.
- The Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights is a guide, not enforceable by law and meant to be a voluntary strategy document.
State of play: Civil rights, tech and progressive groups are calling on President Biden to ensure that an executive order makes these AI principles binding for the use of AI by all federal agencies, contractors and recipients of federal grants.
- But businesses aren't so sure about that. The Chamber of Commerce told Axios those requirements would be overly burdensome and difficult to enforce without implementation guidance.
Catch up fast: The non-binding Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, released in October of last year, includes the following principles:
- Safe and Effective Systems
- Algorithmic Discrimination Protections
- Data Privacy
- Notice and Explanation
- Human Alternatives, Consideration, and Fallback
What they're saying: "The federal government is the largest employer in the country, one of the largest purchasers of technology, and has enormous ability to shape the emerging AI policy and business landscape," a coalition of civil society groups said in an Aug. 3 letter to Biden.
- Signatories include the Center for American Progress, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the Center for Democracy and Technology and UnidosUS, among others.
The other side: Making the AI Bill of Rights binding U.S. policy is something "we feel would not be helpful to U.S. competitiveness," Jordan Crenshaw, senior vice president at the Chamber of Commerce technology engagement center, told Axios.
- "We want to make sure that we have a robust conversation with all stakeholders about what policies should be put in place by the federal government."
- "Our concern is, if that's the approach that ends up being taken, that would fly in stark contrast to what the White House said at the beginning when they launched the AI Bill of Rights, that it would not be a binding policy document."
What's next: Industry insiders tell Axios the White House is actively drafting AI executive orders they expect to be released as soon as this month.
