A sampling of government IT sector officials is giving solid reviews to President Biden’s AI Executive Order issued on Oct. 30, and looking forward to next steps as the administration begins a months-long effort to push the order’s requirements out to Federal agencies.
The order sets new standards for government AI development in eight categories including: safety and security; privacy; equity and civil rights; supporting consumers and workers; innovation and competition; American leadership; and government use of AI. It also tasks numerous Federal agencies with follow-up work, and asks Congress to approve legislation on data privacy and other AI-related topics.
“AI has the potential to transform government, and we’re already seeing its potential to improve health, safety, national security, and citizen service while also driving better, more informed, data-driven decision-making,” said Mike Wiseman, Vice President, Public Sector, at Pure Storage. “Ultimately, the power of AI can improve government operations, offering faster innovation and a better citizen experience,” he said.
Wiseman told MeriTalk that the executive order is “a step in the right direction to promote safe, secure, and trustworthy AI – which is essential as agencies explore new types of technology.”
“By implementing AI solutions, supported by a reliable, secure data infrastructure, agencies can utilize a smaller infrastructure footprint to reduce the burden of storage management and accelerate ransomware and rapid disaster recovery,” he said. “Ultimately, the power of AI can improve government operations, offering faster innovation and a better citizen experience.”
Dr. Pragyansmita Nayak, Chief Data Scientist at Hitachi Vantara Federal, characterized the executive order as a “strategic initiative that aligns with the global shift towards responsible socio-technical AI systems development, grounded in transparency, fairness, and equity,” and she said it “reflects the administration’s deep understanding of AI’s transformative potential and the need to prevent misuse and discrimination.”
“The order’s core philosophy, emphasizing a balance between progress and defined boundaries, embodies the administration’s vision to foster a culture of continual experimentation and accelerated innovation while meticulously considering privacy, regulation, and ethics,” Nayak continued.
“As both the private and public sectors align to implement the order, we can anticipate a wave of operational enhancements, and improved customer experiences, ushering in a new era of innovation and progress equally in both citizen services and national security posture,” she said.
“The White House’s swift response to artificial intelligence (AI) is commendable, particularly in recognizing the critical need to stay ahead of AI advancements and ensure the tools used to develop these systems are safe, secure, and trustworthy,” said Gary Barlet, Federal Chief Technology Officer at Illumio, who pointed to the how the order’s directives will be rolled out across the Federal enterprise.
“The Executive Order (EO) on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy AI gives direction to specific agencies around safety testing and evaluating potential cybersecurity threats, including those targeting critical infrastructure,” he said. “However, it will be crucial for actionable and timebound guidance to follow this EO and outline how agencies should put this direction into action.”
“We know AI and emerging technologies are constantly advancing and are here to stay – it’s hard to imagine what impact they might have on industry, government, and society in the next five, ten years. This is an ongoing topic that the White House needs to consistently revisit, reassess, and adapt to,” Barlet said.
