Citation[]
National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Leadership in AI: A Plan for Federal Engagement in Developing Technical Standards and Related Tools (prepared in response to Executive Order 13859) (Aug. 9, 2019) (full-text).
Overview[]
Emphasizing the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) to the future of the U.S. economy and national security, on February 11, 2019, the President issued an Executive Order (EO 13859) directing Federal agencies to ensure that the nation maintains its leadership position in AI. Among its objectives, the EO aims to "Ensure that technical standards ... reflect Federal priorities for innovation, public trust, and public confidence in systems that use AI technologies ... and develop international standards to promote and protect those priorities."
United States global leadership in AI depends upon the Federal government playing an active and purpose-driven role in AI standards development. That includes AI standards-related efforts needed by agencies to fulfill their missions by:
- supporting and conducting AI research and development,
- actively engaging in AI standards development,
- procuring and deploying standards-based products and services, and
- developing and implementing supportive policies, including regulatory policies where needed.
The EO directs the Secretary of Commerce, through the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), to issue "a plan for Federal engagement in the development of technical standards and related tools in support of reliable, robust, and trustworthy systems that use AI technologies." This plan was prepared with broad public and private sector input.
This plan identifies the following nine areas of focus for AI standards:
- Concepts and terminology
- Data and knowledge
- Human interactions
- Metrics
- Networking
- Performance testing and reporting methodology
- Safety
- Risk management
- Trustworthiness.
Trustworthiness standards include guidance and requirements for accuracy, explainability, resiliency, safety, reliability, objectivity, and security.