Who Followed the Blueprint? Analyzing the Responses of U.S. Federal Agencies to the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights

TL;DR

This paper investigates how U.S. federal agencies responded to the 2022 White House Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, finding limited direct influence and highlighting other factors shaping AI governance.

Contribution

It provides an empirical analysis of federal agencies' actions, revealing the Blueprint's minimal impact compared to pre-existing policies and external influences.

Findings

Few agencies explicitly referenced the Blueprint.

Most actions aligned with principles but predated the Blueprint.

External factors like public concern influenced AI governance.

Abstract

This study examines the extent to which U.S. federal agencies responded to and implemented the principles outlined in the White House's October 2022 "Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights." The Blueprint provided a framework for the ethical governance of artificial intelligence systems, organized around five core principles: safety and effectiveness, protection against algorithmic discrimination, data privacy, notice and explanation about AI systems, and human alternatives and fallback. Through an analysis of publicly available records across 15 federal departments, the authors found limited evidence that the Blueprint directly influenced agency actions after its release. Only five departments explicitly mentioned the Blueprint, while 12 took steps aligned with one or more of its principles. However, much of this work appeared to have precedents predating the Blueprint or motivations disconnected from it, such as compliance with prior executive orders on trustworthy AI. Departments' activities often emphasized priorities like safety, accountability and transparency that overlapped with Blueprint principles, but did not necessarily stem from it. The authors conclude that the non-binding Blueprint seems to have had minimal impact on shaping the U.S. government's approach to ethical AI governance in its first year. Factors like public concerns after high-profile AI releases and obligations to follow direct executive orders likely carried more influence over federal agencies. More rigorous study would be needed to definitively assess the Blueprint's effects within the federal bureaucracy and broader society.