Biden mandates A.I. advance 'equity and civil rights'

President Joe Biden has signed an executive order requiring that Artificial Intelligence technology advance “equity and civil rights.”

Biden signed the order this week, putting more regulatory guidance in place for A.I., a rapidly developing technology that some experts warn could be used for harm for everyday Americans.

Biden took it a step further, though, saying that A.I. “must be consistent with my Administration’s dedication to advancing equity and civil rights.”

“My Administration cannot — and will not — tolerate the use of AI to disadvantage those who are already too often denied equal opportunity and justice,” the order says.

Biden administration officials, including the Assistant to the President and Director of the Gender Policy Council, have also been tasked with finding “accelerated hiring pathways” for the right people on this issue, as defined by the administration.

The order also seeks to "address algorithmic discrimination" in part by increasing “coordination between the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and Federal civil rights offices.”

The order makes clear that while tech leaders navigate the ethics of A.I. in the beginning of its development, the federal government is pushing to have equity and progressive racial politics included in the regulatory discussion.