This week, President Trump signed an executive order outlining a national plan to promote the development and adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.  The order serves as the official launch of the “American AI Initiative,” which includes five areas of focus:

• Invest in AI R&D – Prioritize AI investment in Federal agencies’ R&D missions
• Unleash AI Resources – Enhance availability of Federal data, models, and computing resources to America’s AI research and development experts
• Set AI Governance Standards – Led by the National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST), develop technical standards for reliable, secure, trustworthy, and interoperable AI systems
• Build the AI Workforce – Prioritize fellowships and training with Federal agencies to cultivate AI-focused skills and education
• International Engagement and Protecting the U.S. AI Advantage – Implement an action plan to protect U.S. AI intellectual property

The order does not include a timeline or allocate specific funding for AI initiatives, though the Administration has indicated that a detailed plan to further the goals in the order will be released this year.

The order comes a day after remarks by FTC Commissioner Rohit Chopra that referred to potential negative outcomes of AI technology. In a speech at the Silicon Flatirons Conference in Colorado, Commissioner Chopra raised concerns about biases, and potential inequality based on gender or race, that can result from “black box” decision-making technology that combines AI algorithms with massive data collection. Commissioner Chopra noted that current consumer protection laws that exist to address human bias in the marketplace must similarly be structured to account for AI-generated biases, echoing sentiments raised by participants at the FTC’s AI-focused competition and consumer protection hearing held last year.

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