Stay up to date with notifications from TheĀ Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Biden administration names a director of the new AI Safety Institute

The Biden administration is making plans to name a top White House aide as the director of the newly established safety institute for artificial intelligence

Josh Boak
Wednesday 07 February 2024 10:02 GMT
Biden AI
Biden AI (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

The Biden administration on Wednesday plans to name a top White House aide as the director of the newly established safety institute for artificial intelligence, according to an administration official who insisted on anonymity to discuss the position.

Elizabeth Kelly will lead the AI Safety Institute at the National Institute for Standards and Technology, which is part of the Commerce Department. Currently an economic policy adviser for President Joe Biden, Kelly played an integral role in drafting the executive order signed at the end of October that established the institute, the administration official said.

In a draft announcement obtained by The Associated Press, Lael Brainard, director of the White House National Economic Council, said that Kelly ā€œshaped the presidentā€™s agenda on tech and financial regulation and worked to build broad coalitions of stakeholders."

The new institute will play a critical role in fostering the development of the technology. By July, it's set to create ā€œred teamā€ testing standards for major AI developers to ensure that the systems are safe for consumers and businesses.

The administration considers the safety tests as necessary to unlock the benefits of the rapidly moving technology, creating a level of trust that will allow for wider adoption of AI.

The federal government recently began requiring AI companies to test their systems. But so far, those tests lack the universal set of standards that the institute plans to finalize this summer.

Kelly is a graduate of Yale Law School who also worked in the Obama White House and at the financial company Capital One, according to her LinkedIn page.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in