The White House issued new rules on how government can use AI. Here's what they do

The Biden administration announced new guidance to federal agencies on how they can and cannot use artificial intelligence, in a memo released by the Office of Management and Budget.

It's a significant step in trying to ensure safe use of AI, which private companies and other countries are also grappling with.

A draft of the guidance was released last fall, ahead of Vice President Harris' trip to the first global AI summit, in the United Kingdom. The draft was then opened up for public comment before being released in its final form Thursday.

Harris said the guidance was "binding" and emphasized the need for guidelines to put public interest first on a global scale.

"President Biden and I intend that these domestic policies serve as a model for global action," Harris said in a call with reporters Wednesday. "We will continue to call on all nations to follow our lead and put the public interest first when it comes to government's use of AI."

The guidance to agencies tries to strike a balance between managing the risks of artificial intelligence and also encouraging innovation.

It also requires that each agency appoint a chief artificial intelligence officer, a senior role that will oversee implementation of AI. And it outlines how the government is trying to grow the workforce focused on AI, including by hiring at least 100 professionals in the field by this summer.

"The public deserves confidence that the federal government will use the technology responsibly," said Shalanda Young, the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Agencies have until Dec. 1 to implement AI safeguards

The guidance to agencies says that any AI technology they use has to have proper safeguards in place by Dec. 1. If they can't