President Biden’s Executive Order on AI: how WebPurify can help you stay compliant

AI is rapidly intertwining with our daily lives, and the potential risks it poses have garnered attention at the highest levels. The recent Executive Order by President Biden, along with Vice President Kamala Harris’ subsequent announcement of an AI Safety Institute and the UK’s AI Safety Summit, emphasizes the urgency with which governments around the world view the responsible development and deployment of AI systems. But why this sudden call to action?

With advancements in deep learning and neural networks, AI models are increasingly making decisions that impact humans, often in profound ways. Whether it’s an AI suggesting financial investments, curating newsfeeds, or matching potential life partners, the decisions these systems make influence our behaviors, choices, and even societal norms.

At its core, the US Executive Order is a response to the evolving challenges AI presents, both ethically and technically. While just the beginning of a national conversation, the Executive Order features clauses on:

• New Standards for AI Safety and Security
• Protecting Americans’ Privacy
• Advancing Equity and Civil Rights
• Standing Up for Consumers, Patients, and Students
• Supporting Workers
• Promoting Innovation and Competition
• Advancing American Leadership Abroad
• Ensuring Responsible and Effective Government Use of AI

For platforms that host user-generated content (UGC) – from dating apps to e-commerce sites, financial tech platforms to social media networks – the implications are significant. These platforms harness AI to sort, filter, and recommend content to users. But without checks and balances, AI can inadvertently amplify misleading narratives, promote harmful products, or even exclude users based on biases. The federal government, through this Executive Order, aims to ensure that as AI’s influence grows, it does so in a manner that is safe, equitable, and free from manipulation. Below we explain how WebPurify can help you navigate this changing landscape.

Safety and Security through Human Moderation

With any new technology, it’s always an enormous challenge to find the right balance between innovation and regulation. The Biden administration’s Executive Order and the proactive steps discussed at the UK’s AI Safety Summit, along with US Vice President Kamala Harris’ announcement of an AI Safety Institute, have cast a spotlight on the importance of establishing rigorous safety standards while at the same time allowing the AI industry to grow.

As AI grows more sophisticated, so too does the potential for it to stray in unexpected ways. This is where the human element becomes irreplaceable. WebPurify’s content moderators bring a level of understanding and ethical judgment that AI, in its current state, cannot replicate. Our teams ensure that the AI systems our clients deploy do not inadvertently breach ethical boundaries or propagate harmful content.

What’s more, this human-led red-teaming goes beyond mere compliance. It builds trust. In a landscape where public skepticism about AI’s role in society remains high, demonstrating a commitment to rigorous human oversight can be a powerful statement. It shows a dedication to the highest standards of safety and an understanding that careful stewardship is the key to unlocking the true value of AI technology.

In anticipation of the detailed standards and best practices to be established following the Executive Order, WebPurify is already poised to offer its expertise. Our readiness to adapt to and exceed these benchmarks is a testament to our forward-thinking ethos. It’s not just about meeting the expectations set by governance, it’s about setting new standards for what it means to be a leader in AI safety.

By entrusting WebPurify with the moderation process, AI companies, and companies integrating AI into their platforms, can ensure that their systems are scrutinized with a level of depth and humanity that algorithms alone cannot provide.

Identifying Deceptive and Inauthentic Content

The Biden Administration’s AI Executive Order reflects an urgent need to combat the growing sophistication of AI-generated content that can blur the lines between reality and fabrication. This challenge was echoed at the UK’s AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park, setting the stage for transformative approaches to content authentication.

WebPurify’s team is trained to recognize the subtleties that distinguish genuine content from that which is manipulated, ensuring a layer of verification that is discerning and able to parse nuanced discussions.

The Executive Order points towards the development of standards for digital watermarks by the Commerce Department as a potential solution to making AI-generated content easier to identify. But while this initiative is promising, WebPurify understands that watermarking – whether visible or invisible – has its limitations. Visible watermarks can be easily cropped or edited out, and invisible ones can be bypassed with sufficient technical know-how. This is, again, where our human moderators provide an indispensable service, offering an extra layer of defense against attempts to deceive. WebPurify’s human moderators can bridge the gap where technology may fall short.

From real-time events to new technologies, like virtual reality, our moderators are equipped to deal with the latest tactics employed by bad actors, including deepfakes, synthetic media, and other AI-generated content that could mislead or cause harm. By understanding the cultural and contextual markers that algorithms often overlook, WebPurify can discern the intent behind the content. This human expertise is crucial, especially in the interim period while standards for watermarking and authentication are still in development.

As the conversation around content authenticity advances, WebPurify is actively involved in shaping the discourse. We advocate for a comprehensive strategy that combines the latest technological advancements with human oversight. This multifaceted approach not only aligns with the goals set forth by global leaders but also sets a new benchmark for integrity in the digital space.

In the interim, the role of WebPurify’s moderators is not merely reactive but also strategic. We are helping companies anticipate the challenges of content authentication, preparing them for a future where the distinction between AI-generated and human-created content becomes increasingly nuanced. Our proactive stance ensures that our clients are ahead of the curve, safeguarding their reputation and the trust of their users.

By partnering with us, brands can assure their stakeholders that they are not only compliant with current mandates but are also pioneering the standards of tomorrow’s online landscape.

Advancing Equity and Civil Rights

The shocking nature of deepfakes and other types of AI-generated content often overshadow one of the more deeply embedded concerns with AI systems: their inherent discriminatory biases. This algorithmic discrimination, if left unchecked, can perpetuate societal inequities and erode the fabric of trust that should underpin technological advancements. Biden’s Executive Order on AI calls for clear guidelines to prevent such biases, particularly in areas like justice, healthcare, housing, or access to services.

WebPurify understands that AI, as a human creation, can inadvertently reflect the biases inherent in society. Our human moderators are, therefore, not just guardians against explicit content but also for equity and fairness. By rigorously examining the outputs of AI systems, our teams are trained to detect and mitigate biased patterns that could lead to algorithmic discrimination, ensuring that these systems do not perpetuate inequities.

This is a task that machines alone cannot be trusted to perform. The nuanced understanding of cultural contexts, societal norms, and complex human behaviors is something that AI has yet to fully grasp. WebPurify’s human moderators fill this gap with their ability to bring empathy, ethical considerations, and critical thinking to the content moderation process. They ensure that AI systems are held to the highest standards of civil rights and equitable treatment, aligning with the values outlined in the Biden Administration’s Executive Order on AI.

By integrating human moderation into the development and deployment of AI, WebPurify can help developers align with the Biden administration’s push towards responsible AI.

What the AI Executive Order Means for WebPurify’s Clients

For businesses that host UGC, the directives in President Biden’s Executive Order on AI mean added scrutiny and potentially future legislation. In short: ensuring AI’s ethical use is no longer just a moral responsibility; it might soon be a legal one. Let’s take a look at a few hypothetical scenarios.

Dating App Providers

Imagine an AI unintentionally prioritizing profiles based on race or financial status, leading to accusations of discrimination. With potential new regulations, dating apps would need to demonstrate that their AI-driven match algorithms are free from such biases.

e-Commerce Sites

These platforms typically employ AI to recommend products to customers. But what if the AI starts pushing counterfeit or harmful products unknowingly? New AI directives could necessitate more transparent recommendation engines and clear avenues for user redress.

Financial Apps & Websites

The stakes are particularly high here. From credit risk assessments to investment suggestions, AIs that make financial decisions based on biased data can have devastating impacts on individuals. Regulatory oversight might soon require these platforms to explain AI decision-making processes and ensure they’re free from prejudices.

In all these scenarios, WebPurify’s hybrid content moderation services can ensure AI outputs align with legal and ethical standards, helping businesses remain compliant.