PCAST Working Group on Generative AI (Updated)

We contributed to the Open Call (1), initiated by the PCAST Working Group on Generative AI, focusing our input on evolving models, public systems, and assistive technologies. The work of PCAST directly affected the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights and Executive Order 14110 (updated: President Trump re-established PCAST on January 23, 2025, through Executive Order 14177).

The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) is the sole body of advisors from outside the federal government charged with making science, technology, and innovation policy recommendations to the President and the White House. The Biden administration's artificial intelligence governance approach centered on systematic scientific consultation through the PCAST Working Group on Generative AI, which served as a critical foundation for subsequent federal AI policy development.

Related (updated)

Chronology of U.S. Federal AI Initiatives Under the Biden Administration

  • January 27, 2021 – Re-established the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).
    Note: PCAST has existed in various forms under previous administrations.

  • September 22, 2021 – Named 30 PCAST members, including leading figures from the AI industry and academia.

  • October 4, 2022 – Released the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, outlining five key principles for the ethical use of automated systems.

  • May 2023 – PCAST launched the Working Group on Generative AI.

  • May 19, 2023 – Held the first public meeting of the PCAST Generative AI Working Group.

  • October 30, 2023 – President Biden signed Executive Order 14110 on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence.

  • January 29, 2024 – Announced completion of all 90-day actions mandated by Executive Order 14110.

  • March 28, 2024 – Released federal agency guidance requiring each agency to appoint a Chief AI Officer.

  • April 2024 – PCAST delivered a report emphasizing the need to empower human scientists through AI.

  • October 24, 2024 – Issued the National Security Memorandum on Artificial Intelligence, highlighting AI’s strategic role in national defense.

  • January 14, 2025 – Signed the Executive Order on Advancing United States Leadership in Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure, focused on expanding AI compute and data center capacity.

  • January 20, 2025 – President Trump rescinded Executive Order 14110 upon taking office, as part of Executive Order 14148: Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions.

PCAST Working Group Structure and Process

The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) launched a working group on generative artificial intelligence in May 2023, holding its first public meeting on May 19, 2023, with two expert panel discussions on "AI Enabling Science" and "AI Impacts on Society." The 9-member working group was co-led by Laura Greene and Terence Tao, including representatives from major tech companies (NVIDIA's Bill Dally, Microsoft's Eric Horvitz, Google's Phil Venables, AMD's Lisa Su) and academia. The group solicited public input through written submissions of maximum 5 pages by August 1, 2023, focusing on actionable recommendations for the President.

The working group identified both transformative opportunities (drug discovery, healthcare advice, coding assistance) and critical risks including disinformation campaigns, democratic threats, privacy violations, and intellectual property undermining. They posed five specific questions to the public centered on verifying authentic information, countering malicious AI use, detecting AI-generated disinformation, protecting democratic engagement, and developing detection skills for AI manipulation. The initiative built upon existing federal efforts including the AI Bill of Rights, NIST's AI Risk Management Framework, and the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) Task Force implementation plan released in January 2023.

Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights Implementation

Released on October 4, 2022, the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights established five principles designed with the civil rights of the American public in mind following extensive consultation with academics, human rights groups, and private sector companies. This framework provided the conceptual foundation for subsequent federal AI governance measures, establishing normative guidelines that would later inform binding regulatory requirements across federal agencies.

The Blueprint's five core principles encompassed safe and effective systems, algorithmic discrimination protections, data privacy safeguards, notice and explanation requirements, and human alternatives with meaningful oversight mechanisms. These principles represented a proactive approach to technology governance, prioritizing civil rights considerations in system design rather than post-deployment remediation.

Executive Order 14110: Comprehensive Federal Implementation

The Biden administration's AI policy framework represented the most comprehensive federal approach to artificial intelligence governance in U.S. history. Executive Order 14110, signed on October 30, 2023, was the longest executive order in history at 110 pages and is considered the most comprehensive piece of governance by the United States regarding AI. The order was organized into 11 sections and issued directives to over 20 federal agencies, with implementation deadlines spanning between 30 and 365 days. According to the administration's own report card, agencies completed each of the 150 requirements related to federal policies, practices, and procurement across sectors including employment, housing, law, safety, civil rights, and international collaboration.

The executive order's implementation generated significant concrete outcomes within its first year. By January 2024, agencies had completed all 90-day actions and advanced other vital directives, including launching a pilot of the National AI Research Resource with 11 federal-agency partners and more than 25 private sector partners. The administration also established binding guidance requiring each federal agency to appoint a chief AI officer and outlined plans to hire at least 100 AI professionals by summer 2024.

Policy Outcomes and Public Support

Polling from the AI Policy Institute showed that 69% of all voters supported the executive order, with 78% support among Democrats, 65% among independents, and 64% among Republicans, indicating broad bipartisan recognition of comprehensive AI governance needs. The executive order established mandatory safety testing requirements for dual-use foundation models, created the AI Safety Institute within NIST, and implemented the National AI Research Resource to democratize access to AI research infrastructure.

Key implementation milestones included the completion of all 90-day mandated actions by January 2024, establishment of Chief AI Officer positions across federal agencies, and initiation of federal AI workforce expansion targeting 100 new professionals by summer 2024. The order's "all-of-government" approach addressed safety standards, civil rights protections, innovation promotion, workforce development, and international cooperation through coordinated agency action.

[Updated] Policy Transition

On January 20, 2025, President Trump rescinded Executive Order 14110 as part of a broader rollback of Biden-era policies through Executive Order 14148, titled Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions. Several PCAST Working Group members—including representatives from major technology companies—have continued their roles in AI development and policy under the new administration, highlighting continuity in scientific and technical expertise across transitions.

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References

¹ The White House. "President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST)." 2025.

² The White House, President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. "Report to the President on Empowering Human Scientists through AI." April 2024.

³ The White House. "Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights: Making Automated Systems Work for the American People." October 4, 2022.

⁴ The White House. "Executive Order 14110: Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence." October 30, 2023.

⁵ The White House. "Executive Order 14177: Re-establishing the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology." January 23, 2025.

⁶ The White House. "Executive Order 14148: Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions." January 20, 2025.

⁷ Office of Management and Budget. "M-24-10: Advancing Governance, Innovation, and Risk Management for Agency Use of Artificial Intelligence." March 28, 2024.

⁸ The White House. "National Security Memorandum on Artificial Intelligence." October 24, 2024.

⁹ The White House. "Executive Order on Advancing United States Leadership in Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure." January 14, 2025.