The U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released a plan for prioritizing federal agency engagement in the development of standards for artificial intelligence (AI). The plan recommends that the federal government "commit to deeper, consistent, long-term engagement" in activities to help the United States speed the pace of reliable, robust and trustworthy AI technology development. "The federal government can help the U.S. maintain its leadership in AI by working closely with our experts in industry and academia, investing in research, and engaging with the international standards community," said Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and NIST Director Walter G. Copan. "This plan provides a path to ensure the federal government supports AI standards that are flexible and inclusive--and suited for a world of rapidly changing technologies and applications." A February 2019 Executive Order directed NIST to develop a plan that would, among other objectives, "ensure that technical standards minimize vulnerability to attacks from malicious actors and reflect Federal priorities for innovation, public trust, and public confidence in systems that use AI technologies; and develop international standards to promote and protect those priorities."

Federal standards for artificial intelligence must be strict enough to prevent the tech from harming humans, yet flexible enough to encourage innovation and get the tech industry on board, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology. However, without better standards for measuring the performance and trustworthiness of AI tools, officials said, the government could have a tough time striking that balance. On Monday, NIST released its much-anticipated guidance on how the government should approach developing technical and ethical standards for artificial intelligence. Though it doesn't include any specific regulations or policies, the plan outlines multiple initiatives that would help the government promote the responsible use of AI and lists a number of high-level principles that should inform any future standards for the tech. The strategy also stresses the need to develop technologies that would help agencies better study and assess the quality of AI-powered systems.