Biden Administration’s AI Executive Order Bolsters National Security, Hands Extensive AI Responsibilities to DHS, US

The Biden administration has issued an executive order on the safe and secure development and use of artificial intelligence (AI), with a particular focus on national security. The order gives extensive AI responsibilities to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), among other agencies. The DHS Secretary is tasked with leading assessments of potential risks related to AI in critical infrastructure sectors, translating AI risk management into guidelines for critical infrastructure owners, and establishing an Artificial Intelligence Safety and Security Board. The Secretary of Homeland Security is also asked to clarify and modernize immigration pathways for AI experts and develop recommendations for law enforcement agencies to recruit officers with technical knowledge. Additionally, DHS is directed to collaborate with international allies and partners to enhance cooperation in preventing, responding to, and recovering from potential disruptions to critical infrastructure. The broad mandate given to DHS may raise concerns, considering its track record on technology use and data handling. However, the department has expressed its intention to be an early and aggressive adopter of AI technology, citing examples of its use in identifying suspicious vehicles, combating online child abuse, and assessing damage after national disasters. The executive order on AI follows other administration initiatives, such as the release of an AI Bill of Rights blueprint and the NIST AI Risk Management Framework. Despite a generally laissez-faire approach to AI regulation in the United States, the DHS will now focus on its new AI responsibilities.