The White House Will Hold Artificial Intelligence Responsible With AI Bill of Rights

Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI), Ethical AI, Trustworthy AI. Call it what you will – it’s a concept that’s impossible to ignore when you pay attention to the tech industry.

As AI advances rapidly, more voices have joined the cry to ensure it stays safe. The nearly unanimous consensus is that AI can easily become biased, unethical, and even dangerous.

To address this ever-growing problem, the White House today issued a Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights. This outlines five principles that should guide the design, use, and implementation of automated systems to protect Americans in this age of AI.

The issues with AI are well documented, the Blueprint points out — from insecure patient care systems to discriminatory algorithms used for recruiting and credit decisions.

“The blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights is a guide to a society that protects all people from these threats — and uses technologies in ways that reinforce our highest values,” it reads.

Blueprint for AI Bill of Rights — not far enough

The EU has taken the lead in realizing an ethical AI future with its proposed EU AI law. Numerous organizations have also broached the concept of developing an overarching framework.

The US has lagged noticeably behind in the discussion. Before today, the federal government had not issued concrete guidelines for protecting citizens from AI threats, even as President Joe Biden has called for protections around privacy and data collection.

Many still say that the Blueprint, while a good start, doesn’t go far enough and doesn’t have what it takes to gain real traction.

“It is exciting to see the US join an international movement to help understand and master the impact of new computing technologies, especially artificial intelligence, to ensure the technologies improve human society in a positive way. said James Hendler, president of the Computer Machinery Association (ACM) technology policy council.

Hendler, a professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and one of the founders of the Semantic Web, pointed to recent statements, including the Rome calls for AI ethicsthe proposed EU regulation on AI and statements from the UN Commission.

They all call for a greater understanding of the impact of increasingly autonomous systems on human rights and human values,” he said. “The ACM Global Technology Council has worked with our member committees to update previous statements on algorithmic accountability, as we believe regulation of this technology should be a global, not just national, effort.”

Similarly, the Algorithmic Justice League posted on its Twitter page that the blueprint is a “step in the right direction in the fight for algorithmic justice”.

The League combines art and research to raise public awareness of racism, sexism, ability and other harmful forms of discrimination that can be perpetuated by AI.

Others point out that the blueprint does not recommend restrictions on the use of controversial forms of AI, such as those that identify people in real time through biometrics or facial images. Some also point out that it fails to address the critical issue of autonomous lethal weapons or smart cities.

Five Critical Principles

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), which advises the president on science and technology, first spoke about its vision for the blueprint last year.

The five identified principles:

1. Safe and effective systems: People need to be protected from unsafe or ineffective systems.
2. Algorithmic discrimination protection: people should not be discriminated against by algorithms, and systems should be used and designed fairly.
3. Data privacy: People need to be protected from abusive data practices through built-in safeguards and have control over how data about them is used.
4. Notice and explanation: People need to know that an automated system is being used and should understand how and why it contributes to outcomes that affect them.
5. Human Alternatives, Consideration, and Relapse: People should have the ability to opt out, where appropriate, and have access to a person who can quickly consider and resolve issues they encounter.

The blueprint is accompanied by a handbook, ‘From Principles to Practice’, which contains ‘detailed steps to update these principles in the technological design process’.

It was drawn up based on insights from researchers, technologists, lawyers, journalists and policy makers, noting that while automated systems have “provided extraordinary benefits”, they have also caused significant damage.

It concludes that “these principles help provide guidance when automated systems can meaningfully impact the public’s rights, opportunities, or access to critical needs.”