one year on
Biden signs first US AI executive order, invoking Defense Production Act for model reporting
The order requires developers of the most powerful AI systems to share safety test results with the government and sets NIST standards for red-team testing, marking the first major binding US government action on the technology.
President Joe Biden today signed a landmark executive order, the first comprehensive U.S. government action on artificial intelligence, requiring developers of powerful AI systems to share safety test results with the federal government under the Defense Production Act.
The order targets foundation models. Companies must notify the government when training covered models and share the results of red-team safety tests, with standards set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The Department of Commerce will create standards for watermarking AI-generated content, and the Department of Homeland Security will establish an AI Safety and Security Board.
The order also addresses privacy, civil rights, and labor impacts, directing agencies to develop guidance against algorithmic discrimination and to study AI’s effect on the workforce. It follows voluntary commitments from 15 leading AI companies and comes ahead of the UK’s AI Safety Summit, where Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to speak. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Bruce Reed called it the strongest set of actions any government has taken on AI safety.
The record
Called the order the strongest set of actions any government has taken on AI safety, security, and trust.
Said the order represents a step toward concrete regulation, using the power of the federal government to manage AI risk and harness benefits.
One year later — open only if you can handle spoilers
The order quickly became a template for international frameworks, though debates over its enforcement and scope continued.