Release: White House Budget Proposal Takes Steps Toward AI Safety, But More Investment Needed

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, the White House released President Biden’s budget request for FY2025. Jason Green-Lowe, Executive Director of the Center for AI Policy, a nonpartisan advocacy group urging Congress to require safe AI, released the following statement:

"The Center for AI Policy commends the White House for acknowledging the importance of AI safety in its FY25 budget proposal. We are particularly encouraged by the proposed $50 million for the US AI Safety Institute within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), as well as the $37 million for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) within the Department of Energy (DOE) to assess the potential for AI misuse and provide technical assessments of large language models. These investments, along with the proposed $32M for the US Digital Service (USDS), General Services Administration (GSA), and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to support the National AI Talent Surge, are steps in the right direction.

"However, while the budget proposal takes some positive steps, it falls short of the level of investment needed to adequately address the scale of the risks posed by advanced AI. The recent Gladstone AI report, commissioned by the State Department, warns of the potential for AI to cause an 'extinction-level threat to the human species' if not properly managed. The $65 million allocated to the Department of Commerce to safeguard and promote AI is a start, but it pales in comparison to the billions of dollars being invested in AI development and the trillions of dollars at stake if upcoming AI developments go horribly wrong.

"The Center for AI Policy calls on the White House to prioritize AI safety in its budget and policy decisions. We cannot afford to wait until it is too late to address the potential catastrophic risks posed by advanced AI. The time to act is now, and we need a level of investment commensurate with the scale of the challenge.

"As the President said in his State of the Union address, we must harness the promise of AI while protecting ourselves from its perils. The White House budget proposal is a step in the right direction, but much more needs to be done to ensure the safe and responsible development of AI technologies."

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