White House unveils non-binding AI rights bill

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) published a draft AI Rights Bill intended to “protect the American public,” according to Engadget.

According to the press release, the document advances five principles:

• Safety and effectiveness of systems;
• Algorithmic safeguards against discrimination;
• Data privacy;
• Notice and explanation of the purposes for using AI systems;
• Human-in-the-loop options, and the ability to review and reject algorithm use.

“In plain terms, systems should work, they should not discriminate, they should not use data without scrutiny. They should be visible and understandable, and they should not exclude human interlocutors,” wrote Suresh Venkatasubramanian, co-author of the bill.

According to him, more than a thousand edits and comments were incorporated during its development.

“The AI Rights Bill reflects a broad and deep American consensus on how to govern automated technologies that affect our lives,” added Venkatasubramanian.

The deputy OSTP director for science and society Dr. Alondra Nelson said the project is aimed at everyone who interacts with technology.

“The methods set out in the AI Rights Bill are not merely desirable: they are attainable and essential for creating technologies and a society that works for all of us,” she said.

The administration spent more than a year developing the project. During this time, the authors organised panel discussions, public hearings, as well as a number of meetings with entrepreneurs, activists and corporate executives.

In addition to the bill itself, OSTP released a companion piece, “From Principles to Practice,” detailing concrete steps to implement the AI Rights Bill.

“Effective implementation of these processes requires collaboration among industry, civil society, researchers, policymakers, technologists, and the public,” the document says.

The AI Rights Bill is not mandatory. A representative of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Joran Crenshaw, welcomed the initiative. However, he argues that turning the recommendations into law would harm the U.S. AI market.

“If policymakers make the rules mandatory, they could hamper America’s ability to compete on the global stage,” he said.

Earlier in September, the White House unveiled principles for reforming tech-giant platforms to curb their influence.

In August, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission said it planned to regulate surveillance technologies and algorithms.

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