Biden’s Sweeping AI Executive Order Calls for Standards to ‘Mitigate Harms’ to Workers Posed by Artificial-Intelligence Tech

variety.com:

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor President Biden issued an executive order Monday aimed at establishing new safeguards governing the use of AI while also promoting U.S.

interests in the artificial-intelligence field. The executive order — the first such U.S. regulations explicitly aimed at artificial intelligence — “establishes new standards for AI safety and security, protects Americans’ privacy, advances equity and civil rights, stands up for consumers and workers, promotes innovation and competition, advances American leadership around the world, and more,” the White House said in a statement.

Among other things, Biden’s AI executive order directs federal agencies to “develop principles and best practices to mitigate the harms and maximize the benefits of AI for workers by addressing job displacement; labor standards; workplace equity, health, and safety; and data collection.” In addition, it calls for a report on “AI’s potential labor-market impacts, and study and identify options for strengthening federal support for workers facing labor disruptions, including from AI.” In Hollywood, the use of generative AI — which can produce synthetic text, images and video based on large data sets — has stoked fear among writers and actors that the technology could hurt their livelihoods.

AI has been a bone of contention in the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, as the unions have sought protections in contracts with studios.