New Biden AI Framework a 'Blueprint' for Future Regulations

Yuichiro Chino/Getty Images

The Biden administration’s national artificial intelligence framework does not carry legal penalties or enforcement, but hopes to pave the way for best practices as law.

The Biden administration unveiled a blueprint Tuesday for a new national framework governing the design and usage of artificial intelligence, a landmark federal initiative emphasizing the need for civil rights protections and greater accountability in AI, bolstered by complimentary work from other federal agencies.

Announced by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the framework, dubbed the AI Bill of Rights, is composed of five guiding principles to be considered when developing AI technologies. These include: creating safe and effective systems, data privacy, algorithm discrimination protections, user notices and human alternatives. 

Officials confirmed that while the framework sets fresh standards for AI developers and users, it is only a guidebook and not enforceable legislation. The White House hopes that it will lay the groundwork for current and future bills in local governments and on Capitol Hill, alike.

“It's a technical plan to bring principles into practice,” a White House spokesperson told reporters on a Monday call. “This blueprint provides examples and concrete steps for technologists, companies, governments, civil society and communities to take in order to build these key civil rights protections into policy practice or technological design.”

Entities like private and public organizations, as well as individual users, are asked to abide by the guidelines at their own discretion.

“We're calling on technologists to integrate the safeguards called for in the blueprint into teams’ design plans and product launch checklists, to commit publicly to take the action to align with these principles and protect the public,” the spokesperson said. “We're calling on policymakers to use the practical steps described to inform future laws and requirements. We're calling on researchers and innovators to lead the way by implementing these ideals and creating new ways to protect the public. And we're calling on advocates, civil society and the public to ask the hard questions and to hold governments and industry accountable.”

This framework marks the Biden administration’s latest initiative to bring more accountability into Big Tech and apply regulations to the emerging technology space. 

The five pillars comprising the blueprint were developed in partnership with industry experts to determine the areas of AI that demand more regulation. Other federal agencies also contributed to the framework and are set to announce their own individual initiatives designed to promote trust in AI technologies. 

Preventing harmful biases in AI algorithms is a chief concern addressed in the framework. Citing examples of algorithms that use data to discriminate in the bases of characteristics such as race or sex, administration officials said that system testing and consulting with impacted communities is one of the ways to mitigate algorithmic discrimination.

“Unfortunately, we've repeatedly seen instances where the use of automated systems leads to discriminatory outcomes,” a spokesperson said. “Just like systems need to be tested to see if they work, they need to be assessed to see if they lead to disparities in cases where one demographic group receives worse outcomes.”

Implementing a human touch is one of the solutions to algorithmic biases offered by the framework. Other federal agencies, namely the National Institutes of Standards and Technology, have advocated a similar socio-human approach to developing AI systems. 

“No matter how much consultation, and testing, and refinement is done, there are going to be systems that just don't work for some people or some situations,” a spokesperson said. “In order to make use of the benefits of technology in more settings, we also have to be realistic about its limits.”

Some of the key points in the AI framework are also present in recently proposed legislation. Multiple lawmakers have introduced bills that work to establish better user data privacy from third party brokers while others specifically address challenges associated with AI technology. 

X
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Learn More / Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Accept Cookies
X
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.

Allow All Cookies

Manage Consent Preferences

Strictly Necessary Cookies - Always Active

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data, Targeting & Social Media Cookies

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link

If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences.

Targeting cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Social media cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.

If you want to opt out of all of our lead reports and lists, please submit a privacy request at our Do Not Sell page.

Save Settings
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Cookie List

A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website – when visited by a user – asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies – which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting – for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Functional Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Performance Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Social Media Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Targeting Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.