Biden Economic Adviser Elizabeth Kelly Picked to Lead AI Safety Testing Body

Elizabeth Kelly, formerly an economic policy adviser to President Joe Biden, has been named as director of the newly formed U.S. Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute (USAISI), U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo announced Wednesday. "For the United States to lead the world in the development of safe, responsible AI, we need the brightest minds at the helm," said Raimondo. "Thanks to President Biden's leadership, we're in a position of power to meet the challenges posed by AI, while fostering America's greatest strength: innovation." Kelly has previously contributed to the Biden Administration's efforts to regulate AI with the AI Executive Order, which an Administration official tells TIME she was involved in the development of from the beginning. Kelly was "a driving force behind the domestic components of the AI executive order, spearheading efforts to promote competition, protect privacy, and support workers and consumers, and helped lead Administration engagement with allies and partners on AI governance," according to a press release announcing her appointment. Read More: Why Biden's AI Executive Order Only Goes So Far Previously, Kelly was special assistant to the President for economic policy at the White House National Economic Council.