Executive Order Addressing AI Risks Revoked by US President

Biden’s decision came after US lawmakers failed to adopt legislation establishing guidelines for AI development. 

US President Donald Trump on Monday cancelled a 2023 executive order signed by former President Joe Biden that sought to mitigate the threats that artificial intelligence poses to consumers, workers, and national security. 

Biden’s directive compelled creators of AI systems that pose hazards to US national security, the economy, public health, or safety to share the results of safety tests with the US government prior to public release, in accordance with the Defense Production Act. It also required many AI system developers to share their safety test results and other critical information with the US government, establish standards and best practices for detecting AI-generated content as a tool for combating consumer fraud, and create a “advanced” cybersecurity program to develop AI tools to find and fix vulnerabilities in critical software.

The order also urged agencies to establish testing criteria and handle potential chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and cybersecurity concerns. Biden’s decision came after US lawmakers failed to adopt legislation establishing guidelines for AI development.

The 2024 Republican Party platform pledged to abolish the order that it claims stifles AI innovation, adding, “Republicans support AI development rooted in free speech and human flourishing.”

Generative AI, which can generate text, photographs, and videos in response to open-ended cues, has sparked interest as well as concerns that it would render some jobs obsolete or have other negative effects.

Last week, the US Commerce Department imposed new limitations on AI chip and technology exports, prompting outcry from industry leaders such as Nvidia.

Last week, Biden issued a separate executive order to provide federal assistance in meeting the vast energy needs of rapidly increasing advanced AI data centres, which includes leasing federal locations owned by the Defense and Energy departments. Trump did not repeal the decree.

Some aspects of the Biden era order have already been completed. For example, it asked the Treasury Department to produce a report on the best practices for financial institutions to manage AI-related cybersecurity concerns. The report was released in 2024. Trump did not remove Biden’s more recent directive urging government departments to alter their IT and cloud services rules to improve cybersecurity.

The 2021 climate change directive instructed government agencies to promote “accurate disclosure of climate-related financial risk,” as well as financial regulators to consider measures to improve climate-related disclosures.