Biden executive order: How the US is trying to tame AI

An executive order on artificial intelligence issued by US president Joe Biden aims to show leadership in regulating AI safety and security – but most of the follow-through still requires action from US lawmakers and the voluntary goodwill of tech companies. Biden's executive order directs a wide array of US government agencies to develop guidelines for testing and using AI systems, including having the National Institute of Standards and Technology set guidelines for "red-team testing" that can probe for potential AI vulnerabilities prior to public release. "The language in this executive order and in the White House's discussion of it suggests an interest in being seen as the most aggressive and proactive in addressing AI regulation," says Sarah Kreps at Cornell University in New York. It is probably "no coincidence" that Biden's executive order came out just before the UK government convened its own AI summit, says Kreps. But she cautioned that the executive order alone will not have much impact unless the US Congress can produce bipartisan legislation and resources to back it up – something that she sees as unlikely during the US 2024 election year.