President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) and Generative AI

Background

The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) is the sole body of advisors from outside the federal government charged with making science, technology, and innovation policy recommendations to the President and the White House. Established by Executive Order, it is an independent Federal Advisory Committee comprised of distinguished individuals from industry, academia, and non-profit organizations with a range of perspectives and expertise.  PCAST develops evidence-based recommendations for the President on matters involving science, technology, and innovation policy, as well as on matters involving scientific and technological information that is needed to inform policy affecting the economy, worker empowerment, education, energy, the environment, public health, national and homeland security, racial equity, and other topics.

 

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PCAST AI Announcement

The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) has launched a working group on generative artificial intelligence (AI) to help assess key opportunities and risks and provide input on how best to ensure that these technologies are developed and deployed as equitably, responsibly, and safely as possible. 

 

Presidents Biden's Instructions to the PCAST

And today we’re going to discuss the opportunities and the risks of artificial intelligence.  AI can help deal with some very difficult challenges like disease and climate change, but we also have to address the potential risks to our society, to our economy, to our national security. 

Last October, we proposed a bill of rights — a bill of rights to ensure the important protections are built into the AI systems from the start, not have to go back to do it.  And I look forward to today’s discussion about ensuring responsible innovation and appropriate guardrails to protect America’s rights and safety, and protecting their privacy, and to address the bias and disinformation that is possible as well. 

And so, tech companies have a responsibility, in my view, to make sure their products are safe before making them public. 

Social media has already shown us the harm that powerful technologies can do without the right safeguards in place.  Absent safeguards, we see the impact on the mental health and self-images and feelings and hopelessness, especially among young people. 

And as I said in the State of the Union Address to Congress, Congress needs to pass bi- — (coughs) — excuse me, my — for my cold — bipartisan privacy legislation that, one, impose strict limits on personal data that tech companies collect on all of us; two, ban advertising directed — targeted advertising to children; and three, require companies to put health and safety first in the products that they build. 

So with that, I’m going to, as my mother would say, “hush up,” and let’s get this meeting started. 

Thank you all very much. 

PCAST Request for Public Comments

Please send your ideas to pcast@ostp.eop.gov with “Generative AI” in the subject line.  We especially welcome public comments addressing the following questions (please indicate in your submission which questions you are addressing):

  1. In an era in which convincing images, audio, and text can be generated with ease on a massive scale, how can we ensure reliable access to verifiable, trustworthy information?  How can we be certain that a particular piece of media is genuinely from the claimed source?
  2. How can we best deal with the use of AI by malicious actors to manipulate the beliefs and understanding of citizens?
  3. What technologies, policies, and infrastructure can be developed to detect and counter AI-generated disinformation?
  4. How can we ensure that the engagement of the public with elected representatives—a cornerstone of democracy—is not drowned out by AI-generated noise?
  5. How can we help everyone, including our scientific, political, industrial, and educational leaders, develop the skills needed to identify AI-generated misinformation, impersonation, and manipulation?

Documents and Reports (selected)

 

Executive Order Amending Previous Executive Order on PCAST
On September 13, 2021, Executive Order 14007 was amended such that PCAST can include up to 32 members.

Executive Order on the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology
On January 27, 2021, the Executive Order establishing his PCAST was issued by President Joe Biden.

President Biden’s Letter to OSTP Director, Dr. Eric Lander
On January 15, 2021, then-President-Elect Biden sent this letter laying out his science priorities to Dr. Eric S. Lander, his appointee as the President’s Science Advisor and nominee as Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy.

News

PCAST Announcements

CAIDP Statement to PCAST

CAIDP Statement to the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), May 14, 2023 (excerpts)

 

We are responding to the White House notice posted yesterday “PCAST Working Group on Generative AI Invites Public Input.”  We are providing a preliminary response for your public session next week, and we have established a webpage to track the work of the Working Group.  We will later provide a more detailed response to the specific questions raised in the White House notice. 

 

In advance of the public session next week, we ask you to: 

  • Review our recent complaint to the Federal Trade Commission on OpenAI. 
  • Consider the Universal Guidelines for AI as a basis for a policy responses to Generative AI. 
  • Review the Artificial Intelligence and Democratic Values Index. 

Promoting Public Participation

 

A call for public comment should not be treated lightly. 

  • Make the Public Comment Process Meaningful
  • Provide meaningful responses to the proposals you receive. 
  • Avoid the “balancing” framing

Federal Advisory Committee Act

"The Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) governs the operation of federal advisory committees and emphasizes public involvement through open meetings and reporting. Meetings must be announced in the Federal Register. Reports, transcripts, working papers, and other materials made available to or prepared for or by the committees must be made available to the public."

 

From the Act:

  • "the Congress and the public should be kept informed with respect to the number, purpose, membership, activities, and cost of advisory committees"; Sec. 2(b)(5)
  • "The President may delegate responsibility for evaluating and taking action, where appropriate, with respect to all public recommendations made to him by Presidential advisory committees." Sec. 6(a)
  • "Within one year after a Presidential advisory committee has submitted a public report to the President, the President or his delegate shall make a report to the Congress stating either his proposals for action or his reasons for inaction, with respect to the recommendations contained in the public report." Sec. 6(b)
  • "Interested persons shall be permitted to attend, appear before, or file statements with any advisory committee, subject to such reasonable rules or regulations as the Administrator may prescribe." Sec. 10(a)(3).
  • ".  . . the records, reports, transcripts, minutes, appendixes, working papers, drafts, studies, agenda, or other documents which were made available to or prepared for or by each advisory committee shall be available for public inspection and copying at a single location in the offices of the advisory committee or the agency to which the advisory committee reports until the advisory committee ceases to exist." Sec. (10)(b)
  • "Detailed minutes of each meeting of each advisory committee shall be kept and shall contain a record of the persons present, a complete and accurate description of matters discussed and con- clusions reached, and copies of all reports received, issued, or approved by the advisory committee. The accuracy of all minutes shall be certified to by the chairman of the advisory committee." Sec. 10(c)