U.S. Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute (USAISI) established by Federal Government

The U.S. Department of Commerce is establishing a new agency under its jurisdiction. President Biden recently signed an historic executive order establishing the U.S. Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute (USAISI). This agency is under the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) which is under the Department of Commerce.

With the explosion of creation and use of AI products, the government decided it needs to be at the forefront of the development of standards and protocols ensuring the safety and trust of AI. The agency will develop norms that provide “for safety, security, and testing of AI models, develop standards for authenticating AI-generated content, and provide testing environments for researchers to evaluate emerging AI risks and address known impacts.” The USAISI will bring in experts from a number of fields including academia, industry, government, and civil society to contribute to these efforts. The department will also work with similar institutes in allied countries as well as other federal agencies.

“Through the establishment of the U.S. AI Safety Institute, we at the Department of Commerce will build on NIST’s long history of developing standards to inform domestic and international technological progress for the common good,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. Secretary Raimondo has recently been very involved with AI issues such as securing voluntary commitments to AI security from top American companies as well as shaping the G-7 Principles and Code of Conduct announced this past week.