White House Appoints AI Chiefs, EU Regulates AI in Workplace, and Saudi Arabia's New Data Law - AI Policy Brief #13

Hi there, Welcome to this week's edition of the AI Policy Brief, where we delve into the latest developments in AI regulations, safety standards, government policies, and compliance requirements worldwide. This week, the White House has directed federal agencies to appoint AI chiefs, a move aimed at enhancing the coordination and oversight of AI initiatives across the government. Meanwhile, the U.S. Education Secretary made headlines with a misstatement regarding AI at a recent summit, sparking discussions about the importance of accurate AI literacy among policymakers. On the international front, the European Union is considering new rules to regulate AI in the workplace, while also contemplating easing AI and data regulations to boost competitiveness. In the Middle East, Saudi Arabia has introduced a new personal data protection law, marking a significant step in its digital transformation efforts. Stay tuned as we explore these stories and more in this edition.

The White House has directed federal agencies to appoint chief AI officers and develop AI strategies, emphasizing innovation and privacy. At the ASU+GSV Summit, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon mistakenly referred to AI as 'A1' during her speech on its educational impact.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang reached an agreement with the Trump administration to prevent export restrictions on H20 AI chips, while tariffs from the Trump era are impacting Silicon Valley's AI funding. The Secure Identity Alliance and ADIA have partnered to enhance digital identity solutions globally. The EU plans to regulate AI in the workplace with new rules, and is considering easing AI and data regulations to boost competitiveness. Saudi Arabia introduced a Personal Data Protection Law to enhance privacy, and the World Internet Conference released a report on AI governance.

TSMC is under investigation by the US for potential export violations related to Huawei's AI chips, while the Romanian Senate reviews a draft law on AI regulation. Yiren Digital has received approval for its AI model in China, and Ireland is probing X's data use for AI training. US regulators have denied a rehearing on Amazon's energy pact, Beijing has added 23 AI services to its compliance registry, and the UK is investigating the SES and Intelsat merger.

The UK police have initiated a £20 million procurement framework for Live Facial Recognition software to standardize surveillance technology. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is open to future collaboration with the Pentagon on AI weapons development.

Leidos and Moveworks have partnered to improve government efficiency in the U.S., U.K., and Australia with AI. Serbia has signed a €50 million contract with Eviden for a supercomputer to boost its AI capabilities. Conductor AI secured $15 million in funding to enhance government compliance processes.

MIT reports that AI systems lack coherent value systems, posing challenges for aligning AI with human values. The Bank of England warns of financial stability risks due to AI adoption in trading. NTT Research forms a new AI group to enhance AI understanding. University of Oxford secures £59 million for AI safety projects.

OpenAI has filed a countersuit against Elon Musk over alleged harassment related to its for-profit transition. The ACLU and partners challenge facial recognition use in an Ohio case, while Nate, Inc.'s former CEO faces fraud charges over AI claims. Law professors support authors in a copyright suit against Meta for unauthorized AI training.