The White House issued a “Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights” to “help guide” AI deployment and use, with an eye toward future policymaking.
Treading (very) lightly: The document “is non-binding and does not constitute U.S. government policy.” [Emphasis added] Indeed, the document is framed as a “blueprint” for an AI Bill of Rights, a step back from what was originally called for by the White House.
“The Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights is a set of five principles and associated practices to help guide the design, use, and deployment of automated systems to protect the rights of the American public in the age of artificial intelligence,” according to the document.
- Safe and effective systems: “Automated systems should be developed,” the Blueprint reads, “with consultation from diverse communities, stakeholders, and domain experts to identify concerns, risks, and potential impacts of the system.”
- Algorithmic discrimination: The Blueprint urges “Designers, developers, and deployers of automated systems [to] take proactive and continuous measures to protect individuals and communities from algorithmic discrimination and to use and design systems in an equitable way.”
- Data privacy: The Blueprint cautions, “Continuous surveillance and monitoring should not be used in education, work, housing, or in other contexts where the use of such surveillance technologies is likely to limit rights, opportunities, or access.”
- Notice and explanation: “You should know that an automated system is being used and understand how and why it contributes to outcomes that impact you,” the Blueprint notes.
- Human alternatives, consideration, and fallback: The Blueprint asserts that “You should be able to opt out, where appropriate, and have access to a person who can quickly consider and remedy problems you encounter,” and focuses on the employment context as an area of particular concern.
Similar to our comments to the White House Office of Science and Technology, large employers are frequently given credit for minimizing risk: “From large companies to start-ups, industry is providing innovative solutions that allow organizations to mitigate risks to the safety and efficacy of AI systems, both before deployment and through monitoring over time. These innovative solutions include risk assessments, auditing mechanisms, assessment of organizational procedures, dashboards to allow for ongoing monitoring, documentation procedures specific to model assessments, and many other strategies that aim to mitigate risks posed by the use of AI to companies’ reputation, legal responsibilities, and other product safety.” However, the report also details several instances of discrimination and other issues by companies deploying AI systems in the work context.
What’s next: While submitted with hopes of impacting future policymaking, the Blueprint offers neither groundbreaking solutions nor the full-throated support of the federal government. Its ultimate impact, therefore, remains to be seen.
