Biden Administration Executive Order On AI: Implications For The Energy Sector

President Biden's recent executive order (EO) to manage risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI) is intended to establish new standards governing AI safety, security, and privacy concerns while promoting innovation and competition. This executive order is applicable to many aspects of the U.S. economy, including the energy sector.

Within the energy sector, this EO instructs the Department of Energy to address AI system's threats to critical infrastructure by coordinating with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to set rigorous standards, subject to so-called "red team" testing that simulates worst case scenarios to ensure safe deployment of AI systems within energy infrastructure, all prior to public release of the technology.