President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order establishing guidance for federal agency use of artificial intelligence (AI) in government decision-making “to foster public trust and confidence in the use of AI, and ensure that the use of AI protects privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties.”
The White House said in a release that the president’s executive order underscores the Trump administration’s “commitment to accelerating Federal adoption of AI, modernizing government, cultivating public trust in AI, and exemplifying world leadership in the use of trustworthy AI.”
Trump in his order set out nine principles for the design, development, acquisition, and use of AI in government, the White House said.
The order directs agencies to prepare inventories of AI-use cases throughout their departments and directs the White House to develop a road map for policy guidance for administrative use.
AI use by federal agencies must be lawful; purposeful and performance-driven; accurate, reliable, and effective; safe, secure, and resilient; understandable; responsible and traceable; regularly monitored; transparent; and accountable, the order’s principles emphasize.
The Trump administration has made artificial intelligence a priority, earlier issuing guidance to federal agencies aimed at limiting “overreach” in regulating the use of AI by private companies, while urging agencies to use AI to eliminate outdated regulations.
A number of government agencies use AI for predictive enforcement tools, and regulatory agencies use it to process and review vast amounts of data to detect trends and shape policymaking.
