On Monday President Biden signed a major executive order focused on artificial intelligence (AI).

The White House describes it as the “most sweeping actions ever taken to protect Americans from the potential risks of AI systems.”

While the intention of safeguarding the public is commendable, the order raises eyebrows for those who champion limited government and private sector freedom.

The new rules call for AI developers to share their safety test results with federal agencies.

Specifically, the White House states, “In accordance with the Defense Production Act, the Order will require that companies developing any foundation model that poses a serious risk to national security, national economic security, or national public health and safety must notify the federal government when training the model, and must share the results of all red-team safety tests.”

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is tasked with setting these high-level safety standards.

These steps put the government squarely in the driver’s seat, deciding which AI technologies are safe enough for public use.

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This central role for federal agencies has some conservatives concerned about overreach and the sidelining of private businesses, which have been the backbone of American innovation.

The Department of Homeland Security is also getting a boost in oversite and regulatory power.

It will establish an AI Safety and Security Board to apply federal safety standards to critical sectors like energy and transportation.

This means decisions that were often made by companies themselves will now be heavily influenced by Washington, which might stifle innovation and limit corporate autonomy.

Regarding job losses due to AI, the White House says the executive order will “Produce a report on AI’s potential labor-market impacts, and study and identify options for strengthening federal support for workers facing labor disruptions, including from AI.”

This suggests the federal government wants to play a bigger role in the job market, a move that could slow down natural market changes and hamper business growth.

On the issue of AI-generated fraud, the Department of Commerce is directed to “develop guidance for content authentication and watermarking to clearly label AI-generated content.”

This again puts the responsibility of setting standards on the government rather than letting private sector experts lead the way.

This order follows the Senate’s first bipartisan forum on AI, signaling more regulation could be on the horizon.

The White House pledges to “continue to work with Congress to pursue bipartisan legislation to help America lead the way in responsible innovation.”

In short, President Biden’s upcoming executive order on AI represents a significant expansion of federal oversight into an area that’s evolving quickly.

While aiming to keep the public safe is a noble goal, from a conservative standpoint, the broad reach of this order raises questions about the growing role of government at the potential expense of private sector innovation and freedom.

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