US Executive Order on AI

Updated December 1, 2024

 

The Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence was signed by President Biden

on October 30, 2023. It imposes limited regulation of AI systems, focusing primarily on a wide variety of actions by the US government to promote safe and responsible development of AI.

 

However, the new Trump administration has announced that it plans to repeal the Executive Order, and there are expectations that AI policy will take a new direction (with a significant role for Trump confidant Elon Musk).

 

Policy and Principles

Section 2 of the Executive Order sets out 8 guiding principles and priorities for advancing and governing the development and use of AI:

  1. Artificial Intelligence must be safe and secure. 
  2. Promoting responsible innovation, competition, and collaboration will allow the United States to lead in AI and unlock the technology’s potential to solve some of society’s most difficult challenges. 
  3. The responsible development and use of AI require a commitment to supporting American workers.
  4. Artificial Intelligence policies must be consistent with [the Biden] Administration’s dedication to advancing equity and civil rights.
  5. The interests of Americans who increasingly use, interact with, or purchase AI and AI-enabled products in their daily lives must be protected. 
  6. Americans’ privacy and civil liberties must be protected as AI continues advancing.  
  7. It is important to manage the risks from the Federal Government’s own use of AI and increase its internal capacity to regulate, govern, and support responsible use of AI to deliver better results for Americans.
  8. The Federal Government should lead the way to global societal, economic, and technological progress, as the United States has in previous eras of disruptive innovation and change.

 

Detailed Provisions

The Stanford University Human-Centered Artifical Intelligence has created a detailed line-by-line tracker of the many provisions of the order. These are set out in the following sections:

  • Sec. 4.  Ensuring the Safety and Security of AI Technology
  • Sec. 5. Promoting Innovation and Competition
  • Sec. 6.  Supporting Workers
  • Sec. 7.  Advancing Equity and Civil Rights
  • Sec. 8.  Protecting Consumers, Patients, Passengers, and Students
  • Sec. 9.  Protecting Privacy
  • Sec. 10.  Advancing Federal Government Use of AI
  • Sec. 11.  Strengthening American Leadership Abroad

 

Institutions and Implementation

The Executive Order establishes a new White House Artificial Intelligence Council within the Executive Office of the President.

 

Various agencies of US government have taken implementation steps for the Executive Order, including: