For the past five months, former President Barack Obama has provided discreet advice to President Joe Biden’s administration on its artificial intelligence (AI) strategy, according to aides for both men, as reported by NBC News.
At President Biden’s request, his predecessor has been quietly engaged, liaising with tech companies and conducting virtual meetings with senior West Wing aides through platforms like Zoom. Their collaborative efforts have led to an executive order signed by President Biden on Monday, which establishes government oversight of AI.
White House chief of staff Jeff Zients emphasized the urgency of the matter, citing President Biden’s stance: “You have to move fast here, not at normal government pace or normal private-sector pace, because the technology is moving so fast. We have to move as fast, or ideally faster. And we need to pull every lever we can.”