White House AI Bill of Rights Is All Wrong, Says Center for Data Innovation

WASHINGTON—In response to the White House publishing an “AI Bill of Rights” the Center for Data Innovation issued the following statement from director Daniel Castro:

The AI Bill of Rights is an insult to both AI and the Bill of Rights. Americans do not need a new set of laws, regulations, or guidelines focused exclusively on protecting their civil liberties from algorithms. Using AI does not give businesses a “get out of jail free” card. Existing laws that protect Americans from discrimination and unlawful surveillance apply equally to digital and non-digital risks. Indeed, the Fourth Amendment serves as an enduring guarantee of Americans’ Constitutional protection from unreasonable intrusion by the government.

Unfortunately, the AI Bill of Rights vilifies digital technologies like AI as “among the great challenges posed to democracy.” Not only do these claims vastly overstate the potential risks, but they also make it harder for the United States to compete against China in the global race for AI advantage. What recent college graduates would want to pursue a career building technology that the highest officials in the nation have labeled dangerous, biased, and ineffective?

There are many ways that AI systems can and will improve, but those improvements will come fastest by pursuing the potential benefits of AI through a national strategy focused on accelerating AI development and adoption, not by denigrating the technology. And rather than expending political capital promoting a non-binding set of guidelines, the Biden administration would better serve everyday Americans by pushing for Congress to vote on comprehensive federal data protection legislation.