The Biden-Harris Administration is prioritizing tech accountability and protecting the rights of the American public. Recently, the Office of Science and Technology Policy released a Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, which outlines core protections to guide the design, development, and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) and other automated systems.
Automated technologies are increasingly present in various aspects of daily life, from hiring and housing to healthcare and education. While they offer great innovations, AI systems have the potential to perpetuate inequalities and discriminatory practices. The Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights addresses these urgent challenges by establishing five core protections:
- Safe and Effective Systems: Protection from unsafe or ineffective systems.
- Algorithmic Discrimination Protections: Ensuring that algorithms and systems are used and designed in an equitable way.
- Data Privacy: Protection from abusive data practices and control over the use of personal data.
- Notice and Explanation: Awareness of when automated systems are being used and understanding how they contribute to outcomes.
- Alternative Options: The ability to opt out and access support to address any encountered problems.
The Blueprint was developed through extensive consultation with the American public, stakeholders, and government agencies. It also includes practical steps that governments, companies, communities, and others can take to incorporate these protections into policies, practices, and technological designs.
“The Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights is for everyone who interacts daily with these powerful technologies — and every person whose life has been altered by unaccountable algorithms,” said Dr. Alondra Nelson, the Deputy Director for Science and Society at the Office of Science and Technology Policy. The practices outlined in the Blueprint are achievable and necessary to create technologies and a society that work for everyone.
To reinforce these protections, the Biden-Harris Administration has taken additional actions across the federal government. For example:
- The Department of Labor is ramping up enforcement of surveillance reporting to protect worker organizing.
- The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Department of Justice released guidance on employment algorithms that pertain to workers with disabilities.
- The Federal Trade Commission is exploring rules to address commercial surveillance, algorithmic discrimination, and data security practices.
- The Department of Education will release recommendations on the use of AI in schools.
- The Department of Health and Human Services is proposing rules to prohibit discrimination by algorithms in clinical decision-making.
- The United States Agency for International Development launched an AI Action Plan to embed risk mitigation in AI programming.
These actions aim to protect workers, consumers, students, patients, homeowners, veterans, and support fair access to housing while advancing democratic values and providing guidance to technologists and entrepreneurs.
The Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights and the accompanying federal actions demonstrate the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to holding big technology companies accountable, protecting civil rights, and ensuring technology benefits the American people. By prioritizing tech accountability and protecting public rights, the administration aims to create a more equitable and inclusive future for all.
FAQs
Q: What is the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights?
A: The Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights is a framework released by the Biden-Harris Administration to guide the design, development, and deployment of AI and other automated systems. It aims to protect the rights of the American public and address the challenges of algorithmic discrimination, data privacy, and transparency.
Q: What are the core protections outlined in the Blueprint?
A: The Blueprint establishes five core protections: safe and effective systems, algorithmic discrimination protections, data privacy, notice and explanation, and alternative options. These protections aim to ensure that AI and automated systems are equitable, accountable, and respect individual rights.
Q: How will the federal government support the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights?
A: The federal government has announced various actions to support the Blueprint’s objectives. These actions include enforcing surveillance reporting to protect worker organizing, exploring rules to address algorithmic discrimination and data security practices, releasing guidance for the use of AI in schools, and proposing rules to prohibit discrimination by algorithms in clinical decision-making, among others.
Q: How was the Blueprint developed?
A: The Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights was developed through extensive consultation with the American public, stakeholders, and government agencies. It incorporates diverse perspectives to ensure the protection of public rights and promote accountability in the design and deployment of AI and automated systems.
Q: What is the goal of the Biden-Harris Administration’s tech accountability efforts?
A: The Biden-Harris Administration aims to hold big technology companies accountable for the harms they cause and ensure that technology works for the American people. By prioritizing tech accountability and protecting public rights, the administration seeks to create a more equitable and inclusive future.
Conclusion
The Biden-Harris Administration’s release of the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights and the accompanying federal actions reflect their commitment to tech accountability and protecting the rights of the American public. By addressing algorithmic discrimination, data privacy, and transparency, these initiatives aim to ensure that automated systems work for everyone and protect individuals’ rights. Through collaboration with the public, stakeholders, and government agencies, the administration is taking concrete steps to create a fair and equitable technological landscape that benefits the American people.