The Biden administration has officially appointed a top White House aide as the director of the newly established AI Safety Institute. Elizabeth Kelly will lead the institute at the National Institute for Standards and Technology, which will be part of the Commerce Department. She is currently an economic policy adviser for President Joe Biden and played a key role in drafting the executive order that established the institute.
Several top companies in the AI space have pledged their involvement by joining a new safety consortium to support the safe development of generative AI. MongoDB, Inc. has announced its participation as a founding member of the U.S. Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute Consortium (AISIC), along with other tech giants like Microsoft, Google, Apple, and Facebook-parent Meta Platforms.
The consortium, which includes government agencies, academic institutions, and other companies, will work with NIST to support its efforts to create safe and trustworthy AI. The focus will be on assessing the risk and impact of current and next-generation AI technology, creating standards and guidelines for the responsible use of AI.
The institute plans to develop “red team” testing standards for major AI developers by July to ensure the safety of AI systems for consumers and businesses. These safety tests are considered essential to unlock the benefits of AI and build trust for wider adoption.
Secretary of U.S. Department of Commerce Gina Raimondo emphasized the significance of the U.S. government in setting AI standards and tools, stating that the consortium will help achieve safety standards and protect the innovation ecosystem directed by President Biden’s Executive Order.
More information about the AISIC can be found on the consortium website.