EPIC Urges Agencies To Orient AI Resources Around Oversight and Protection Over Development and Deployment

In comments to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and National Science Foundation about the implementation of the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) Task Force’s Interim Report, EPIC recommended that the agencies set defined minimum standards for algorithmic transparency and accountability and set strict limits on the use of NAIRR to develop certain harmful applications like emotion recognition. EPIC explained that “The NAIRR should not primarily be an accelerator for AI development for AI development’s
sake.” EPIC recommended similar principles in comments when the NAIRR was established last October. EPIC also submitted comments to the Office of Management and Budget and the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence advising both agencies to follow the Universal Guidelines for AI and to push for actionable legal rights to protect against algorithmic harms.