Tag: Artificial Intelligence

  • EPIC Will Expand Work on Privacy and Tech Oversight in 2023

    For nearly thirty years, EPIC has been fighting to secure the fundamental right to privacy for all, and the fight has never been more important. 2022 was a momentous year that brought new threats—in particular, the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs, which undid 50 years of precedent protecting the constitutional right to privacy—but also hope for the future. In 2023, EPIC will work to establish strong, comprehensive privacy and digital civil rights across the United States; we will help to develop new fairness and accountability mechanisms to ensure that AI and automated decision-making systems do not exacerbate inequities and discrimination; and we will work to ensure that intelligence and law enforcement surveillance programs are subject to robust oversight.

    • Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights

    • Consumer Privacy

    • Privacy Laws

    • Surveillance Oversight

    • Analysis

  • Privacy, Surveillance, and AI in the FY’23 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)

    Each year, Congress passes the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which designates specific budgets and policies for the U.S. military and a host of other government entities. The NDAA, while at its core a national defense bill, is sweeping in scale, with this year’s version providing $816,700,000,000.00 in funding to the Department of Defense. Given the sheer size of this allocation, the NDAA has impacts well beyond the military. This year, as in the recent past, there are many provisions that relate to privacy, surveillance, and AI. EPIC highlights those provisions here to help you understand where this money will be spent in the upcoming years.

    • Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights

    • Consumer Privacy

    • Data Protection

    • Democracy & Free Speech

    • Government AI Use

    • Analysis

  • Public Benefits, Private Vendors: How Private Companies Help Run our Welfare Programs

    If you’ve been following EPIC’s work on the algorithms used in public benefits programs, you may have caught something unusual: although we talk about public welfare programs, most of the systems we’ve uncovered are developed by private companies. That isn’t a coincidence. While a few state agencies have developed their own technical systems for public benefits programs, a large and growing number of states have chosen to outsource the technological systems undergirding public benefits programs to private vendors who promise accuracy, efficiency, and cost-savings. In reality, EPIC’s research suggests the opposite: many vendor systems are costly, prone to bias and error, and developed without considering agencies’ unique needs.

    • Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights

    • Freedom of Information Act

    • Government AI Use

    • Open Government

    • Screening & Scoring

    • Analysis

  • EPIC Submits Comments to Strengthen CFPB Proposals for Financial Data Rights Rulemaking

    • Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights

    • Consumer Privacy

    • Updates

  • The Playground is Open: Questions, Dangers, and Opportunities Related to the Widespread Availability of OpenAI’s Large Language Model

    Last week, OpenAI made its “Playground” and chat functions using GPT-3 available to the general public. This piece will preview the significant risks of bias in the use of ChatGPT/Playground, respond to the use of GPT-3 to stymie regulation efforts, and show that AI can also explain pro-privacy and AI oversight questions like why emotion and facial recognition need to be banned.

    • Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights

    • Commercial AI Use

    • Analysis

  • New EPIC Report Reveals Extensive Use of Automated Scoring and Screening in the District of Columbia

    • AI Policy

    • Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights

    • Commercial AI Use

    • Government AI Use

    • Screening & Scoring

    • Reports

  • What’s in a name? A survey of strong regulatory definitions of automated decision-making systems

    With regulation and enforcement starting to take shape over AI and automated decision-making systems, it’s essential that we understand and build common definition(s) that can protect individuals today and in the future. EPIC believes an expansive definition of AI and automated decision-making is critical.

    • AI in the Criminal Justice System

    • AI Policy

    • Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights

    • Commercial AI Use

    • Government AI Use

    • Screening & Scoring

    • Analysis

  • CFPB Begins Rulemaking to Strengthen Personal Financial Data Rights

    • Updates

  • AI Bill of Rights Provides Actionable Instructions for Companies, Agencies, and Legislators

    Last week, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy released a “Blueprint” for an “AI Bill of Rights.”The five major principles are Safe and Effective Systems; Freedom from Algorithmic Discrimination; Data Privacy; Notice and Explanation; Human Alternatives, Consideration, and Fallback. EPIC published an Op-Ed in Protocol outlining specifically how the White House can act to enact the principles from the blueprint.

    • AI in the Criminal Justice System

    • AI Policy

    • Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights

    • Commercial AI Use

    • Government AI Use

    • Screening & Scoring

    • Analysis

  • EPIC Submits Additional Feedback on NIST AI Risk Management Framework 

    • AI Policy

    • Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights

    • Commercial AI Use

    • Government AI Use

    • Updates