The Trump Administration issued an Executive Order on December 3rd to finish its guidelines around how the federal government should promote and utilize artificial intelligence. This EO ratified concepts that were previously published, including the Section 3 principles that echo the developing consensus on AI across public and private entities. It is unknown what the incoming Biden Administration will do in response to this EO at this stage. We find the attention to understanding, responsibility, transparency, and accountability directly in line with the principles of Machine Learning Assurance, provided that they are implemented well of course.
This announcement follows a recent groundswell of attention to AI within the US federal government. The State Department has announced cooperative agreements with the UK and Ireland; the Department of Defense has published its AI education strategy; and most recently the Government Accountability Office called for an AI oversight framework to help its auditors work with inspectors general on such projects. Still, some observers worry that these efforts are too laissez faire by prioritizing "risk assessment and cost-benefit analyses" before any regulatory considerations.