WASHINGTON – Today, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas released the following statement regarding the Biden-Harris Administration Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence:
“I was proud to join President Biden at the White House today to mark the signing of his Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence (AI). The President has asked the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to play a critical role in ensuring that AI is used safely and securely. This is a top priority for our Department.
“The unprecedented speed of AI’s development and adoption presents significant risks we must quickly mitigate, along with opportunities to advance and improve our work on behalf of the American people. The President’s Executive Order defines a seminal path for the safe and secure use of AI. It directs DHS to manage AI in critical infrastructure and cyberspace, promote the adoption of AI safety standards globally, reduce the risk of AI’s use to create weapons of mass destruction, combat AI-related intellectual property theft, and ensure our immigration system attracts talent to develop responsible AI in the United States. The AI Safety and Security Advisory Board, which I look forward to chairing, will bring together industry experts, leading academics, and government leaders to help guide the responsible development and safe deployment of AI.
“DHS is already deploying AI responsibly to achieve our missions, and this Executive Order will build on that leadership. In April 2023, I established the Department’s first AI Task Force to drive specific applications of AI and, since then, we have quickly developed guidance on the acquisition and use of AI technology and the responsible use of face recognition technologies. I have also appointed the Department’s first Chief AI Officer to promote these efforts. As we continue this critical work, it will be centered on our commitment and responsibility to protect privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties.”
For more information on the DHS’s use of AI, please visit: www.dhs.gov/ai. In addition, DHS has published a fact sheet on how it is leading the responsible development of AI.
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