IntelBrief: Tensions Between Transparency & Security in Biden’s Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence

Bottom Line Up Front

• A sweeping artificial intelligence (AI) Executive Order (EO) by the Biden White House tasks U.S. agencies with developing new security and safety standards while encouraging innovation and U.S. leadership.
• While the EO attempts to mitigate AI risk and maximize benefits for national security and law enforcement, critics argue government use of AI-enabled facial-recognition tools poses civil rights concerns.
• Proponents of open-source AI models warn the EO may limit the public’s ability to detect vulnerabilities in critical AI models, potentially leaving them exploitable by malicious actors.
• Competing visions on openness, transparency, and competitiveness in AI/ML development will likely complicate security and safety regulation efforts in the months ahead.