Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the way the federal government engages with constituents. From answering questions using virtual assistants, or chatbots, to directing requests to the appropriate agency within the government to filling out forms, AI is revolutionizing the way the federal government does business. The path forward for AI is critically important. And, because the technology can be so pervasive, it is imperative that there are established standards to ensure constituent safety and security. The recent Executive Order (EO) attempts to do just that.

The Executive Order issued by the White House on October 30, 2023 has the goal of enacting measures to protect privacy, advance equity and promote innovation. The EO sets out eight guiding principles and priorities to govern the development and use of AI. These are as follows:

1. AI must be safe and secure which requires standardized evaluations of AI systems and establishment of labeling and provenance, so that Americans can determine if content is AI generated.
2. Promoting innovations, competition and collaboration. This will require federal investments in AI related education, training and research, as well as addressing novel Intellectual Property issues.
3. Commitment to supporting all American workers to ensure they reap benefits. Administration will promote AI training and education to the workforce, so they benefit from opportunities created by AI.
4. AI governance is a vital element because it builds trust and creates transparency for all stakeholders
5. AI policies must align with the Administration’s dedication to advancing equity and civil rights. To ensure this, the Administration will continue advancing actions, such as issuing the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, the AI Risk Management Framework and EO14091 ensuring racial equality.
6. Protecting the interests of Americans who use, purchase, or interact with AI or AI-enabled products. These are critically important in areas such as healthcare, among others, that NITAAC supports through our Government-Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) vehicles.
7. Protection of Americans privacy and civil liberties. AI makes it easier to infringe on sensitive information and exploit personal data.
8. Manage the risks from the Government’s use of AI via training and hiring of AI professionals as well as providing training for those who need it to perform their government positions.
9. The Federal Government should lead the way on a worldwide effort to manage AI’s risks, potential for good and shared challenges.

The October EO builds on previous security efforts including voluntary commitments from leading companies to develop AI in a safe and secure manner. While the benefits of AI are promising, NITAAC offers agencies the following advice when considering implementing an AI program.

• Always discern if the use of advanced technology will be beneficial to the agency mission.
• Data analysis allows agencies to process large volumes of information; agencies should be able to interpret this information and determine how best it supports the mission.
• Agencies should share and use data responsibly in a way that does not place citizens at risk.
• The promotion of a competitive AI ecosystem provides small businesses greater opportunities; however, there are lingering concerns around algorithmic discrimination in training, technical assistance and coordination between agencies.
• AI systems have great potential in assisting with the hiring process, however agencies should be mindful that the systems could be biased and result in automated discrimination.

NITAAC and AI

NITAAC can help you acquire AI through our CIO-SP3, CIO-SP3 Small Business and CIO-CS Government-Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) vehicles. Our knowledgeable subject matter experts have the insight to help you determine which task area is best for your AI project. What’s more, NITAAC Contract Holders have supported federal civilian and Department of Defense agencies with both large and small artificial intelligence initiatives, such as:

• Machine learning (ML)
• Deep learning (DL)
• Generative adversarial networks (GANs)
• Supervised learning (SL)
• Reinforcement learning (RL)

In addition, our Contract Holders are poised to assist all federal agencies with AI hardware, software and development solutions. If your agency needs support developing an AI solution, our Contract Holders can assist with the research and development needed to move ahead.

The promise of AI is great. NITAAC is here to help you navigate this new landscape and procure the AI technologies that are best for your mission needs. To learn more about Artificial Intelligence Solutions and Commodities offered by our contract holders, visit nitaac.nih.gov/about/contract-holders-capabilities/artificial-intelligence-solutions-and-commodities. Together, we’ll lead the way in AI advancements to protect American interests.