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Biden ought to refrain from dismantling Office of Management and Budget's stipulations for artificial intelligence governance.

Pressure mounts on President-elect Biden to reconsider Trump's lax AI regulation stance upon assuming office, as Trump's administration favored a minimalist approach to regulation to maintain U.S. dominance in AI technology. However, increasing worries, particularly regarding ethical and...

Biden Should Steer Clear of Unraveling OMB's Guidelines on Artificial Intelligence Regulation
Biden Should Steer Clear of Unraveling OMB's Guidelines on Artificial Intelligence Regulation

Biden ought to refrain from dismantling Office of Management and Budget's stipulations for artificial intelligence governance.

Under President Biden's administration, the United States is navigating a delicate path in AI regulation, aiming to foster innovation while addressing potential risks.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has proposed a governance framework that encourages federal agencies to impose regulation only when the benefits outweigh the costs to AI-driven innovation and growth. This approach, which reaffirms ten principles drafted last year, includes fostering growth, engendering trust, reducing unnecessary barriers, and safeguarding core American values.

Shalanda Young, an OMB official, has been instrumental in proposing these AI regulation guidelines. The framework instructs agencies to precede any regulatory action with an impact analysis that outlines the problem an agency is seeking to address. Agencies are also advised to consider non-regulatory options like policy guidance, experiments, and voluntary standards.

The OMB's guidance establishes a framework for federal agencies to assess potential regulatory and non-regulatory approaches to emerging AI issues. It promotes a tiered approach in which the degree of risk and consequences of both success and failure of the technology determine the regulatory approach.

The Biden administration is cautious about unnecessarily restrictive regulations, recognising that they will come at a cost to AI innovation and adoption. In this regard, the administration is resisting going down the precautionary path to mitigate potential risks AI systems pose, as it may harm AI innovation and adoption.

The administration is also mindful of the need to avoid limiting the military from using any AI systems, even in disaster recovery, due to potential bias or faults.

The OMB's guidelines come as a response to the light-touch approach toward AI regulation advanced by the Trump administration. However, implementing new rules similar to those in the EU, such as focusing on AI ethics or requiring algorithmic transparency, could hinder the United States' competitiveness with China.

Growing concerns about AI bias in law enforcement, housing, and employment may influence Biden's approach to AI regulation. If Biden changes his approach to AI regulation, the United States may become more of an AI follower, similar to Europe.

In summary, the Biden administration is striving to find an approach that strikes a balance between addressing AI risks and spurring AI innovation. The goal is to ensure that the United States thrives in the AI economy under Biden's presidency without hampering AI innovation and adoption with unnecessary regulations.

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