OMB Policy to Advance AI Governance in Federal Agencies
Vice President Kamala Harris has announced a new White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) policy to mitigate risks and harness the benefits of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the federal government. This policy is a core component of President Biden’s AI Executive Order, which directed actions to strengthen AI safety, security, privacy, equity, civil rights, and consumer and worker protections.
Federal agencies have completed all 150-day actions tasked by the Executive Order, and the President’s budget invests in agencies’ ability to responsibly develop, test, procure, and integrate AI across the government.
By December 1, 2024, agencies must implement safeguards when using AI in ways that could impact Americans’ rights or safety, including assessing and monitoring AI impacts, mitigating algorithmic discrimination risks, and providing transparency. Examples of these safeguards include allowing travelers to opt out of TSA facial recognition and human oversight of AI in medical diagnostics and fraud detection.
OMB encourages agencies to consult with unions and adopt the Department of Labor’s forthcoming principles to mitigate AI harms to employees, and will address risks in AI procurement.
To improve transparency, agencies must release annual inventories of AI use cases, metrics on sensitive uses, notices of policy exemptions, and government-owned code/models/data where feasible.
The policy removes unnecessary barriers to agencies’ responsible AI innovation to address pressing challenges, such as disaster response, public health, and transportation safety. Agencies are encouraged to responsibly experiment with generative AI, with safeguards in place.
To ensure accountability and oversight, agencies must designate Chief AI Officers and establish AI Governance Boards. Since December, OMB and OSTP have convened these officials in a Chief AI Officer Council.
The Administration has committed to hiring 100 AI professionals by Summer 2024 as part of the National AI Talent Surge, and a career fair is planned for April 18. Pay flexibility guidance and budget increases aim to attract and retain federal AI talent.
These actions demonstrate the government leading as a global model for safe and trustworthy AI use, building on the Administration’s AI Bill of Rights and NIST’s AI Risk Management Framework.
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