Outline of NIST draft plan for AI standards

post by ryan_b · 2019-07-09T17:30:45.721Z · LW · GW · 1 comments

Contents

  Outline of the Draft Plan
  1. Standards and Artificial Intelligence
  2. US government AI standards and priorities.
  3. Recommended Federal government standards actions to advance US AI leadership
  Appendices
None
1 comment

Previously [LW · GW] I posted on the National Institute of Standards and Technology's plan for AI standards, which is now open for public comment. Reading Federal documents is tedious, so I have provided an outline below.

Outline of the Draft Plan

1. Standards and Artificial Intelligence

A. Why is a plan for Federal engagement in AI technical standards needed?

Note: While definitions of AI vary, for purposes of this plan AI technologies and systems are considered to comprise of software and/or hardware that can learn to solve complex problems, make predictions or undertake tasks that require human-like sensing (such as vision, speech, and touch), perception, cognition, planning, learning, communication, or physical action. Examples are wide-ranging and expanding rapidly. They include, but are not limited to, AI assistants, computer vision systems, biomedical research, unmanned vehicle systems, advanced game-playing software, facial recognition systems as well as application of AI in both Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT).
Increasing trust in AI technologies is a key element in accelerating their adoption for economic growth and future innovations that can benefit society. Today, the ability to understand and analyze the decisions of AI systems and measure their trustworthiness is limited. AI standards and related tools, along with AI risk management strategies, can help to address this limitation and spur innovation. Among the characteristics that relate to trustworthy AI technologies are accuracy, reliability, robustness, security, explainability, safety, and privacy–but there still is much discussion about the range of characteristics that determine AI systems’ trustworthiness. Ideally, these aspects of AI should be considered early on in the design process and tested during the development and use of AI technologies.

B. What are technical standards and why are they important?

a document, established by consensus and approved by a recognized body, that provides for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities or their results, aimed at the achievement of the optimum degree of order in a given context.

C. How are technical standards developed?

The standards development approaches followed in the United States rely largely on the private sector to develop voluntary consensus standards, with Federal agencies contributing to and using these standards. Typically, the Federal role includes providing agency requirements for standards projects, contributing technical expertise to standards development, incorporating voluntary standards into policies and regulations, and citing standards in agency procurements. This use of voluntary consensus standards that are open to contributions from multiple parties, especially the private sector, is consistent with our market-driven economy and has been endorsed in Federal statute and policy. (See “Maximizing Use of the Voluntary Consensus Standards Process” on Page 12).

D. What AI technical standards are needed?

E. What AI standards-related tools are needed?

F. What are other important considerations?

2. US government AI standards and priorities.

A1. Priorities for Federal government involvement.

A2. Which standards characteristics are important?

B. Prioritizing levels of US government involvement in AI standards

C. Practical steps for agency engagement in AI standards

3. Recommended Federal government standards actions to advance US AI leadership

Government agencies should:

the Federal government should commit to deeper, consistent, long-term engagement in AI standards development activities to help the United States to speed the pace of trustworthy AI technologies

A. Bolster AI standards-related knowledge, leadership, and coordination among Federal agencies to maximize effectiveness and efficiency.

B. Promote focused research to advance and accelerate broader exploration and understanding of how aspects of trustworthiness can be practically incorporated within standards and standards-related tools.

C. Support and expand public-private partnerships to develop and use AI standards and related tools to advance trustworthy AI.

D. Strategically engage with international parties to advance AI standards for U.S. economic and national security needs.

Appendices

Appendix I: Definitions

Appendix II: AI Standards

Appendix III: Related Tools for AI Standardization

Appendix IV: The Assignment and Approach

Appendix V: Request for Information

Appendix VI: Workshop Agenda [note: this was May 30th]



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comment by Gunnar_Zarncke · 2021-01-19T10:10:11.146Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

It seems Trump signed a second Executive Order about AI on Dec 3rd, 2020 which is kind of about friendly AI:

Sec. 2. Policy. (a) It is the policy of the United States to promote the innovation and use of AI, where appropriate, to improve Government operations and services in a manner that fosters public trust, builds confidence in AI, protects our Nation’s values, and remains consistent with all applicable laws, including those related to privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties.

Executive Order on Promoting the Use of Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence in the Federal Government

While there is a lot of talk about superficial trustworthiness ("foster public trust") it also makes clear that it protect the actual values underneath.

(I post it here because I'm not sure it deserves a linkpost)