White House offers new guidance for use of AI in the workplace

Clyde Hughes
·2 min read
UPI
President Joe Biden speaks at Gateway Technical College in Sturtevant, Wisconsin, on May 8 about Microsoft's plan to build an artificial intelligence center there. His White House announced new guidelines for AI use on Thursday. Photo by Tannen Maury/UPI

May 16 (UPI) -- The White House on Thursday announced new guardrails for the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace that protects employees and ensures human oversight over the technology's use.

The new guidelines were spurred by President Joe Biden's executive order last October that started to place restrictions on how artificial intelligence is used and to limit its harms to humans, including in job losses and rights.

One new guideline said that workers, particularly those in underserved communities, be informed and have input in the "design, development, testing, training, use and oversight of AI systems for use in the workplace."

Another recommendation ensures human oversight over the governance of AI in the workplace along with having transparency on what it is being used for. Other White House directions suggest standards where worker rights are not impacted, using AI to support and enable employees and to ensure responsible use of data collected by AI.

The Biden administration said that tech companies like Microsoft and Indeed have already committed to adopting the principles laid out by the White House.

"These principles should be considered during the whole lifecycle of AI -- from design to development, testing, training, deployment and use, oversight, and auditing," the White House said in its statement.

"The principles are not intended to be an exhaustive list but instead a guiding framework for businesses. AI developers and employers should review and customize the best practices based on their own context and with input from workers."

Last month, the Biden administration announced new steps to protect safety and worker's rights in connection with AI. The Department of Homeland Security, Department of Energy and the Office of Science and Technology Policy have been working on building a federal government framework to limit the misuse of AI.