Biden to require AI tools pass test before US officials buy them

President Joe Biden will sign an executive order on Monday requiring AI tools complete security testing before federal agencies use them, according to a draft copy of the order obtained by Bloomberg Government, his most significant step to date to rein in the emerging technology.

The draft copy, dated Oct. 23, leverages the government’s position as a top customer for tech companies such as Microsoft Corp and Amazon.com Inc. to drive changes in their AI products. It directs the Department of Labor to write guidelines for federal contractors on preventing discrimination in hiring systems driven by AI, a concern for civil rights groups.

US lawmakers have shown broad interest in placing limits on AI, but an overriding strategy has yet to emerge. Biden’s directive sets initial guardrails on the technology while Congress works toward more powerful legislation. Americans are already using AI to write speeches, plan meals, and speed up research, among other applications.

The president is slated to sign a sweeping executive order on AI days before Vice President Kamala Harris and industry leaders attend a summit in the UK about AI risks, led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The directive gives her specific actions on AI to tout on the world stage, as the European Union and China surpass the US in developing regulation of the technology.

The 111-page draft order encourages the Federal Communications Commission to consider using AI to block unwanted robocalls and texts for consumers.

The highly anticipated order builds on voluntary commitments to deploy AI securely, adopted by more than a dozen companies over the summer at the request of the White House, as well as the administration’s AI “Bill of Rights” blueprint document, a rights-based framework for safe AI development and use that was released last fall.

It calls on immigration officials to streamline visa requirements for foreign workers with AI expertise and directs the federal government to speed up recruitment of AI talent in its own workforce.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.