The White House has issued a directive requiring U.S. federal agencies to appoint Chief AI Officers and set up governance boards by December to ensure responsible use of artificial intelligence. The Office of Management and Budget memo also mandates agencies to provide more detailed information about AI tools and release government-owned AI code in annual reports.
The 34-page memorandum was released as federal agencies completed all actions included in President Joe Biden’s executive order on AI. Agencies failing to comply are required to cease using AI systems, unless critical operations would be disrupted. The memo also calls for the development of strategies to remove barriers to responsible AI use and improve AI maturity enterprise-wide.
Several agencies have already established AI governance boards, with the remaining federal agencies required to form their own by May 27. The White House is urging agencies to ensure AI projects have access to IT infrastructure specialized for AI and open-source libraries for developers. The memo emphasizes transparency by requiring agencies to share custom-developed AI code unless restricted by law or regulations.
The administration has committed to hiring 100 AI professionals by summer 2024 and proposed a $5 million expansion of the governmentwide AI training program. Over 4,800 individuals across 78 federal agencies participated in the initiative last year. The OMB is now working on further actions required under the AI executive order around federal procurement of emerging technologies.
