After long-held theories about any role former President Barack Obama potentially plays in the current administration, a new report reveals his involvement in an executive order issued this week.
NBC News reported that Obama “quietly advised the White House over the past five months on its strategy to address artificial intelligence, engaging behind the scenes with tech companies and holding Zoom meetings with top West Wing aides.”
The months-long effort built up to Monday when President Joe Biden signed an executive order establishing sweeping new government oversight over artificial intelligence.
The outlet cited “aides to both men” as sources of the information and claimed this was the first time Biden “tapped his former boss to help shape a key policy initiative.”
“President Biden is rolling out the strongest set of actions any government in the world has ever taken on AI safety, security and trust,” White House Deputy Chief of Staff Bruce Reed told reporters. “It’s the next step in an aggressive strategy to do everything on all fronts to harness the benefits of AI and mitigate the risks.”
