The Department of Labor announced last week principles for developers and employers for designing and using artificial intelligence in the workplace.
“Workers must be at the heart of our nation’s approach to AI technology development and use,” Acting Secretary Julie Su said in Thursday’s press release.
“These principles announced today reflect the Biden-Harris administration’s belief that, in addition to complying with existing laws, artificial intelligence should also enhance the quality of work and life for all workers,” Su added. “As employers and developers implement these principles, we are determined to create a future where technology serves the needs of people above all.”
The newly released AI principles stress ethical development; transparency in AI use; meaningful worker engagement in system design, use, governance and oversight; protection of workers’ rights; and use of AI to enhance work. The rules are not meant to be all-encompassing, the Labor Department said. They are intended to be guidelines for “during the whole lifecycle of AI – from design to development, testing, training, deployment and use, oversight and auditing.”
“The principles are not intended to be an exhaustive list but instead a guiding framework for businesses,” the Labor Department said. “AI developers and employers should review and customize the best practices based on their own context and with input from workers”.
The AI principles stem from President Biden’s Oct. 30, 2023, executive order placing the “highest urgency” on governing the development and use of AI safely and responsibly, and calling for “a coordinated, Federal Government-wide approach to doing so.”
The Labor Department said it will continue to monitor AI’s impact on the workforce.
“As part of this effort, the department will soon provide employers and developers with best practices to consider as they implement the AI principles,” the Labor Department said.
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