The Biden administration on Wednesday said Elizabeth Kelly will run its U.S. AI Safety Institute, a new group tasked with providing technical guidance on artificial intelligence to regulators.

Ms. Kelly was a “driving force” behind President Biden’s AI executive order issued in October, according to White House Deputy Chief of Staff Bruce Reed. She previously served as a special assistant on the White House National Economic Council with a focus on financial regulation and technology policy.

“The Safety Institute’s ambitious mandate to develop guidelines, evaluate models and pursue fundamental research will be vital to addressing the risks and seizing the opportunities of AI,” Ms. Kelly said in a statement shared by the Commerce Department.

Ms. Kelly said she intends to make the institute a “long-term asset,” with its priority implementing Mr. Biden’s executive order within the Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology, where the new AI group is housed.

The AI institute is expected to build a team this summer to test the safety of AI models to help create standards for the emerging tech’s developers.

Some AI makers have already begun grumbling that Mr. Biden’s AI executive order and the administration’s efforts will crush startups before they get off the ground.

SEE ALSO: AI startups fear Biden regulations will kill chances to compete

In-Q-Tel’s Esube Bekele, who oversees the taxpayer-funded investor’s AI portfolio, said in December that he heard concerns about Mr. Biden’s order from some entrepreneurs.

“There is a fear from the smaller startups,” Mr. Bekele said at the GovAI conference in December. “For instance, in the [executive order] it says after a certain model there is a reporting requirement. Would that be too much?”

The secretaries of Commerce, State, Defense and Energy as well as the Office of the Director of National Intelligence will have a say in creating technical conditions for models and computing clusters. 

The Commerce Department on Wednesday said Elham Tabassi will serve as the AI institute’s chief technology officer. She said the NIST is taking the lead in creating the policy, practice and science of AI safety.

“The USAISI will advance American leadership globally in responsible AI innovations that will make our lives better,” Ms. Tabassi said in a statement. “We must have a firm understanding of the technology, its current and emerging capabilities, and limitations.”

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo praised Ms. Kelly and Ms. Tabassi, saying they have the expertise needed for the government to intervene amid AI risks.

• This article is based in part on wire service reports.

• Ryan Lovelace can be reached at rlovelace@washingtontimes.com.