WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: White House Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights Lauded as Essential Step Toward Protecting the American Public

Two weeks ago, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy released the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, which lays outs five common sense protections to which everyone in America should be entitled in the design, development, and deployment of AI and other automated technologies.

Technologists, business leaders, civil rights groups, technology associations, international leaders, privacy advocates, and elected officials are praising this “critical step” for its potential to make “a monumental impact” in the lives of the American people.

See below for what they’re saying:

U.S. Representative from Texas Eddie Bernice Johnson; Chairwoman, House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology:

“The Office of Science and Technology Policy’s Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights is a critical step to ensure that the development and use of artificial intelligence and automated technologies adhere to our democratic values and civil rights. AI systems have the potential to bring incredible societal benefits, but only if we do the hard work of ensuring AI products and services are safe and secure, accurate, transparent, free of harmful bias, and otherwise trustworthy.” [Statement,10/4/22]

U.S. Senator from Colorado Michael Bennet:

“America must lead by example and show the world we know how to develop critical technologies like AI while respecting core democratic values like civil rights, privacy, transparency, and public accountability. The #AIBillofRights is an important first step in this effort.” [Tweet,10/6/22]

U.S. Representative from California Mark Takano; Chairman, House Veterans Affairs Committee:

“I’m thrilled to see the Administration’s blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights. This is an early step toward establishing consumer protections for individuals subjected to the use of AI in the courtroom, the banking system, and other services throughout our daily lives.” [Tweet, 10/7/22]

Eva Maydell, Member of the European Parliament:

A welcome development from the US @WHOSTP A Blueprint for an #AI Bill of Rights While our approaches to #ArtificialIntelligence regulation may be different, they are embedded in the same democratic values. We must align 🇪🇺🇺🇸 efforts and work with likeminded partners. [Tweet, 10/5/22]

Software & Information Industry Association:

“The Blueprint’s five principles on the design, use, and deployment of automated systems will have a crucial role in shaping our national dialogue on AI policy and establishing a vision for a democratic model of technology governance that will bolster engagement with U.S. allies and partners. We are pleased to see attention to the safety and efficacy of AI systems and guidance around algorithmic discrimination, as well as a targeted focus on potential harms to rights, opportunities, and access.” [Statement, 10/4/22]

Consumer Reports:

“The AI Bill of Rights is a critical first step in addressing the potential harms of AI. American consumers need protections from these complex systems that are used to evaluate them without their knowledge and without a meaningful explanation as to why they arrived at certain decisions. Consumers deserve to know why an automated decision system denies them an opportunity, particularly in sensitive cases. We hope to see more federal and state agencies implementing these recommendations and also ask Congress to codify these recommendations into law.” [Statement, 10/4/22]

Shaundra Watson, Director of Artificial Intelligence Policy, BSA | The Software Alliance:

“BSA applauds the Administration’s work aimed at harnessing the power of AI while ensuring safeguards that respect privacy and civil rights are in place through the development of the AI Bill of Rights. BSA and our member companies support the responsible and trusted public use of AI systems that have the tremendous potential to spur innovation and solve complex societal challenges…We look forward to working with the Administration as it continues to move forward with this important initiative.” [Statement, 10/4/22]

Alexandra Reeve Givens, President and CEO, Center for Democracy & Technology:

“The AI Bill of Rights marks an important step in recognizing the ways in which algorithmic systems can deepen inequality. It expresses expectations for safer and fairer data practices – something to which all entities developing and deploying AI systems should commit. In particular, we commend the White House for considering the diverse ways in which discrimination can occur, for challenging inappropriate and irrelevant data uses, and for lifting up examples of practical steps that companies and agencies can take to reduce harm. We are particularly heartened that today’s announcement includes past and future steps by federal agencies to support effective and equitable AI…The commitments mark an impressive sweep of engagement across key areas where AI can impact daily life, and lay a good foundation for future work.” [Statement, 10/4/22]

James Hendler, Chair, Association for Computing Machinery:

“It is exciting to see the U.S. joining an international movement to help understand and control the impact of new computing technologies, and especially artificial intelligence, to make sure the technologies enhance human society in positive ways.” [Statement, 10/4/22]

Janet Haven, Executive Director, Data & Society Research Institute:

“The Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights is a call to action. It is an invitation to chart a new path forward in designing and governing automated systems. It is a call for creativity and a shift in power as we devise meaningful ways to assess those impacts as well as mechanisms in the language of civil rights.” [Statement, 10/4/22]

Maya Wiley, President and CEO, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights:

“This blueprint lays out important principles that can help establish rules of the road to move us toward unlocking AI’s promise, while guarding against its risks. We all need to know that AI is safe and effective, rather than discriminating wrongfully and making vulnerable people less so. As technology continues to revolutionize commerce, government, and culture, it can also turbocharge discriminatory treatment in employment, housing, lending, and the criminal-legal system…The AI Bill of Rights identifies important next steps for public and private entities to ensure that technology is used to enhance, not undermine, civil rights.” [Statement, 10/4/22]

Rebecca Finlay, CEO, Partnership on AI:

“Today’s announcement is an important milestone in the international effort by countries to center the protection of rights in how we design, develop and deploy AI and other automated systems. We applaud the Office of Science and Technology Policy’s Blueprint for the AI Bill of Rights and the recognition that AI should be built in a way which will protect and support society, and not cause harm.” [Statement, 10/5/22]

The Lawyers’ Committee on Civil Rights Under Law:

“The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law commends the Biden Administration on the introduction of its new AI Bill of Rights, a landmark set of principles for the fair and ethical use of artificial intelligence, machine learning and other data-driven technologies.” [Statement, 10/4/22]

NAACP Legal Defense Fund:

“We applaud the Biden administration for announcing a set of principles to protect the public from algorithmic bias and other threats to civil rights which occur with the increased use of technology and automated systems…This blueprint marks important progress in the effort to ensure that technology does not cause harm and deepen inequalities.” [Statement, 10/4/22]

ReNika Moore, Director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Racial Justice Program:

“Just as our Constitution’s Bill of Rights protects our most basic civil rights and liberties from the government, in the 21st century, we need a ‘bill of rights’ to protect us against the use of faulty and discriminatory artificial intelligence that infringes upon our core rights and freedoms. We commend the Biden administration on this step toward ensuring that AI systems don’t erode our rights.” [Statement, 10/4/22]

Willmary Escoto, Access Now:

“The AI Bill of Rights could have a monumental impact on fundamental civil liberties for Black and Latino people across the nation.” [Statement, 10/4/22]

Abhishek Gupta, founder and principal researcher, Montreal AI Ethics Institute:

“It does a very, very good job of moving the ball forward, in terms of what we need to do, what we should do and how we should do it…It harmonizes both technical design interventions and organizational structure and governance as a joint objective which we’re seeking to achieve, rather than two separate streams to address responsible AI issues.” [Statement, 10/7/22]

Oren Etzioni, founding CEO, Allen Institute for AI:

“I view these principles as a stake in the ground — a focal point.Like when Thor hits his hammer to the earth and there’s huge reverberations.” [Interview, 10/7/22]

Alex Engler, Brookings Institution:

“Likely the signature document reflecting the Biden administration’s approach to algorithmic regulation.” [Statement, 10/7/22]

Alan Butler, Executive Director, Electronic Privacy Information Center:

“The establishment of the core principles that must be met to ensure AI systems serve the public interest, as well as a recognition by the White House of the very real harms automated decision-making systems cause to individuals is a significant step.” [Statement, 10/4/22]

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