The United States has declared its most robust global effort yet in ensuring the safety of artificial intelligence.

The White House has announced what it is calling “the most significant actions ever taken by any government to advance the field of AI safety.”

President Biden’s executive order mandates that developers of Artificial Intelligence (AI) must share their safety findings with the US government. This move positions the United States at the forefront of the global discussion surrounding AI governance.

Interestingly, the UK government had hoped to assume a similar role, which it planned to explore during a summit it is currently hosting this week. The two-day gathering commenced on November 1 at Bletchley Park and was spurred by concerns regarding the swift advancement of AI systems, including potential issues like the creation of more dangerous biological weapons and more crippling cyber attacks.

According to Alex Krasodomski, a senior research associate at Chatham House, this executive order signifies that the US sees itself as the leader when it comes to tackling such threats.

In a statement, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Bruce Reed highlighted that the United States has taken a remarkable step by issuing “the most comprehensive set of actions on AI safety, security, and trust ever taken by any government worldwide.” These measures include:

1. Establishing new safety and security standards for AI, which necessitate AI companies to share their safety test results with the federal government.
2. Ensuring the protection of consumer privacy by developing guidelines for agencies to assess the privacy practices employed in AI.
3. Addressing issues related to AI algorithm discrimination and setting best practices for the appropriate use of AI within the justice system.
4. Creating a program to assess potentially harmful AI practices in healthcare and providing resources for educators on responsible AI tool utilization.
5. Collaborating with international partners to implement AI standards on a global scale.

Furthermore, the Biden administration is actively working to strengthen its AI workforce. Starting today, individuals with expertise in AI can explore relevant job opportunities within the federal government at AI.gov.

Mr. Krasodomski pointed out that the executive order references the UK summit, but it is framed within the context of “advancing American leadership abroad.” This suggests that the United States acknowledges its prominent role alongside China, with a particular focus on the influence of U.S. companies. He also noted that organizing a small, highly technical summit is challenging, and for a technology with significant global implications, broader engagement with countries worldwide will be necessary.

This week, US Vice President Kamala Harris and senior executives from American tech giants are converging in the UK to discuss AI safety at the UK government’s AI Summit, dubbed a “world first” and hosted by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The summit aims to address growing concerns related to frontier AI, with the participation of EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The UK is striving to establish itself as a global leader in mitigating the risks associated with powerful AI technology. However, the EU is in the process of enacting an AI act, China has already implemented strict AI regulations, and now the US has issued this executive order. Additionally, there are reports that the Group of Seven (G7) industrial countries are reaching a consensus on a code of conduct for companies involved in advanced AI systems. These developments raise questions about the extent of topics left for discussion at Bletchley Park this week.