The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced its first chief artificial intelligence (AI) officer, a position primarily tasked with preventing bias and discrimination in AI usage.
DHS announced that its Chief Information Officer Eric Hysen will be the department’s first chief AI officer. In a press release, DHS stated that Hysen will “promote AI innovation and safety within the Department, along with advising Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas and Department leadership on AI issues.”
The decision to hire a chief AI officer comes at the same time the DHS has announced its new policy, “Use of Face Recognition and Face Capture Technologies,” which focuses on the department using facial recognition technology that compares an individual’s facial features to images or video for verification purposes. DHS clarified that the data collected from this policy would not be based on race or ethnicity, claiming that the department strives to “minimize bias and disparate impact on protected groups.“
“Artificial intelligence provides the Department with new ways to carry out our mission to secure the homeland,” said Chief AI Officer Eric Hysen. “The policies we are announcing today will ensure that the Department’s use of AI is free from discrimination and in full compliance with the law, ensuring that we retain the public’s trust.”
As AI technology continues to develop, intelligence agencies are increasingly likely to implement such technology into their field of work. For example, DHS has already implemented AI technology along the southern border, using over 200 surveillance cameras to detect human crossings.
However, many Americans are skeptical of the implementation of this technology, comparing the likes of which to authoritative regimes like China. Chief AI officer Hysen even admitted that the use of AI technology could cause unintended harm to individuals.
“I think the potential for unintended harm from the use of AI exists in any federal agency and in any use of AI,” said Hysen. “We interact with more people on a daily basis than any other federal agency. And when we interact with people, it can be during some of the most critical times of their lives.”
