The U.S. Department of Commerce has marked the first anniversary of President Biden's Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence (AI) by highlighting the progress made in implementing its directives. This order, signed in October 2023, tasked the department with various responsibilities to promote safe AI development.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo reflected on the efforts made over the past year. "President Biden instructed me and leaders across the Administration to pull every lever to keep pace with rapid advancements in AI to mitigate the risks so we can harness the benefits," she stated. Raimondo emphasized that significant progress has been achieved but acknowledged ongoing work remains necessary.

Since the signing of the Executive Order, the Department of Commerce has established and staffed the U.S. AI Safety Institute (U.S. AISI). The institute is a consortium with approximately 280 members dedicated to AI safety. The department has also released guidance and software aimed at improving AI systems' safety, security, and trustworthiness.

Recent developments include agreements for collaboration on AI safety research with leading companies and pre-deployment testing of a new advanced model. Furthermore, last week saw the release of a National Security Memorandum (NSM) designed to enhance federal government adoption of AI for national security purposes.

The NSM designates U.S. AISI as central to government efforts in advanced AI model testing and evaluation. It aims to foster collaboration between U.S. AISI and national security entities to ensure secure development and use of AI technologies.

A White House Fact Sheet detailing these accomplishments is available for public access.

Key priorities from this Executive Order have included developing plans for global engagement on AI standards and infrastructure topics related to AI safety. Reports from NIST and DHS on actions taken will be available within 90 days.