UPDATE – JUNE 2025: In 2023, lawmakers urged President Biden to adopt the AI Bill of Rights as the basis for a federal AI executive order. That same year, he issued Executive Order 14110 on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy AI—drawing from both the AI Bill of Rights and NIST AI RMF. However, Executive Order 14110 was later revoked by President Donald Trump.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Lawmakers Called on Biden to Anchor Federal AI Policy in the AI Bill of Rights
Amid a leadership vacuum in the U.S. House, Democratic lawmakers from both chambers called on President Joe Biden to take executive action on artificial intelligence. In a joint letter sent to the White House on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) and Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) urged the President to use the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights as the foundational framework for a federal executive order.
What Is the AI Bill of Rights?
Released in October 2022 by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the AI Bill of Rights outlines a set of core principles designed to guide the development and deployment of AI systems in the United States. It emphasizes democratic values, civil rights, and privacy protections.
The five core principles include:
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Public Trust in AI: AI systems should maintain and build public trust.
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Robust and Reliable: AI must function safely and securely.
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Privacy and Security: Strong safeguards must protect personal data.
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Inclusive Design: AI should avoid bias and be accessible to all.
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Accountability: Human oversight is essential.
The Technical Companion: Turning Principles into Practice
Alongside the AI Bill of Rights, OSTP released a technical companion offering practical steps for implementation across both public and private sectors. These steps include:
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Overview and introduction
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Safe and effective system design
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Algorithmic discrimination protections
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Data minimization and privacy safeguards
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Transparent data usage disclosures
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Human fallback and oversight mechanisms
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Illustrative appendix of use cases
Lawmakers Push for Executive Action
In their D.C. letter, Markey and Jayapal wrote:
“Your Administration has the opportunity to establish these protections as government-wide policy by incorporating the AI Bill of Rights into your upcoming executive order on AI, or subsequent executive orders.”
They emphasized that these protections should apply whenever federal agencies develop, deploy, fund, or regulate AI systems that could significantly affect individual rights.
Executive Order 14110 and Its Fate
In October 2023, President Biden issued Executive Order 14110, which incorporated elements from both the AI Bill of Rights and the NIST AI Risk Management Framework. However, following the transition of presidential power, President Donald Trump revoked the order, leaving the future of national AI policy uncertain.
What This Means for Your Organization
As U.S. AI policy continues to evolve, companies must stay ahead of regulatory developments and ensure responsible deployment of automated systems. For expert guidance on aligning your systems with the AI Bill of Rights or preparing for future executive actions, contact BABL AI. Their audit experts provide tailored assessments and risk evaluations.
