President Donald Trump on Jan. 20 rescinded former President Joe Biden’s October 2023 executive order on artificial intelligence, which sought to develop security standards for AI and introduce consumer and worker protections.
The executive order directed the federal government to assess the impact of AI on the workforce, prevent discrimination resulting from the use of AI tools, and support upskilling programs that help workers develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the AI economy.
Much of the implementation of the governance requirements has already occurred across federal agencies, but there is no longer a requirement for developers of advanced AI models to share the results of safety testing with the government.
It’s unclear what, if anything, the Trump administration will issue in place of Biden’s order, which was criticized by some technology firms and Republicans as hindering AI innovation.
We’ve rounded up articles from SHRM to provide more context on the news.
Speedy Response
Biden’s order was issued quickly in the wake of the spread of generative AI (GenAI) and in the absence of any U.S. legislation setting guardrails for AI development.
The executive order contained several measures related to employment, including working toward best practices to address job displacement, creating labor standards regarding workplace discrimination, and regulating data collection. The order sought to accelerate the hiring of AI professionals as part of a talent surge, as well as streamline the immigration process for highly skilled foreign students and workers so they could add their talents to the U.S. AI workforce.
AI Employment Regulations Make Compliance ‘Very Complicated’
While federal action has mostly been at an awareness-raising and guidance level, state legislatures have begun implementing laws aimed at curbing AI-driven discrimination.
During the SHRM Workplace Law Forum 2024 in Washington, D.C., an expert panel discussed the shifting regulatory landscape around AI in employment and some basic ways to mitigate risk.
EU AI Act Finalized
The EU AI Act became law on Aug. 2, 2024, putting the European Union at the forefront of governing the burgeoning technology. The EU AI Act divides AI into categories of risk ranging from unacceptable to high, medium, and low hazard. AI systems considered high-risk—such as those used in biometrics, employment, management of workers, and access to self-employment—will have to comply with strict requirements.
The AI Agents Are Coming
AI is rapidly transforming the HR technology market and will penetrate every area of HR, including recruitment, learning and development, employee experience, and day-to-day HR service delivery. The emergence of agentic AI—an evolution from AI-powered chatbots that answer questions to AI agents that take actions based on those exchanges—will lead to it being increasingly integrated across HR systems.
‘An AI Bill of Rights’
In 2022, the Biden administration published a “Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights” on protections related to algorithmic bias and discrimination in automated and AI technologies; employee data privacy; and employer surveillance of the workplace.
Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace
This SHRM resource can help employers and employees successfully manage GenAI and other AI-powered systems at work.
An organization run by AI is not a futuristic concept. Such technology is already a part of many workplaces and will continue to shape the labor market and HR. Here's how employers and employees can successfully manage generative AI and other AI-powered systems.
Related Content
HR must always include human intelligence and oversight of AI in decision-making in hiring and firing, a legal expert said at SHRM24. She added that HR can ensure compliance by meeting the strictest AI standards, which will be in Colorado’s upcoming AI law.
The proliferation of artificial intelligence in the workplace, and the ensuing expected increase in productivity and efficiency, could help usher in the four-day workweek, some experts predict.
Learn how Marsh McLennan successfully boosts staff well-being with digital tools, improving productivity and work satisfaction for more than 20,000 employees.