On April 7, the White House issued a fact sheet outlining new steps to support the responsible use and procurement of AI across federal agencies. The initiative builds on the Biden Administration’s 2023 Executive Order on AI and is intended to reduce administrative hurdles, improve interagency coordination, and expand access to commercially available AI tools.
The announcement requires the Office of Management and Budget, the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, and the General Services Administration to issue updated guidance and provide centralized tools to support implementation. Key measures of the guidance include:
- Appointing Chief AI Officers. Each agency must designate a senior official responsible for overseeing AI governance and compliance.
- Developing AI Strategies. Agencies are required to submit AI implementation plans within 180 days, identifying operational uses, risk mitigation strategies, and workforce needs.
- Removing procurement barriers. Agencies must streamline acquisition processes that may hinder the timely adoption of AI systems, including by adopting performance-based procurement approaches.
- Standardizing commercial AI guidance. OMB will release uniform guidance to support the responsible procurement and deployment of off-the-shelf AI tools, with a focus on privacy, equity, and safety.
- Expanding Shared Tools and Expertise. The Administration will centralize technical resources to help agencies evaluate AI systems and manage associated risks.
- Increasing Access for Small Businesses. The initiative aims to ensure that small and disadvantaged businesses can compete for AI-related government contracts.
Putting It Into Practice: The directive highlights the federal government’s commitment to institutionalizing responsible AI use across sectors while promoting innovation (previously discussed here). Similar momentum is building at the state level, where we expect to see continued parallel developments (previously discussed here and here).