Biden Highlights Future Tech Initiatives During State of the Union

President Joe Biden highlighted several technology initiatives including advancing ethical AI throughout government during the March 8 State of the Union address.

Biden highlighted his overall commitment to helping Americans recover after the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as his stewarding of the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Biden said 46,000 projects are underway to modernize roads, bridges, ports, airports and public transportation systems.

During the address, Biden also reiterated goals to improve border security and immigration processes, including hiring more personnel and implementing better technology to screen for drugs like fentanyl.

“That bipartisan deal would hire 1,500 more security agents and officers, 100 more immigration judges to help tackle the backload of 2 million cases, 4,300 more asylum officers and new policies so they can resolve cases in six months instead of six years now,” Biden said. “100 more high-tech drug-detection machines to significantly increase the ability to screen and stop vehicles smuggling fentanyl into America that’s killing thousands of children.”

Biden emphasized how his bipartisan bills would impact technology policy.

“Pass bipartisan privacy legislation to protect our children online,” Biden said. “Harness the promise of AI to protect us from peril. Ban AI voice impersonations and more.”

Advancing ethical AI has been a growing priority for the White House. In October, Biden signed an executive order on trustworthy and safe AI, which calls on agencies to improve AI security, outlines best practice for ethical AI development and requires agencies to name chief artificial intelligence officers to steward responsible AI policy throughout government.

One of Biden’s also cited the 2022 PACT Act, which supports veterans who have been exposed to toxic hazards that have resulted in “millions of veterans who are now battling more than 100 different cancers.”

“Many of them don’t come home. But we owe them and their family’s support. We owe it to ourselves to keep supporting our new health research agency called ARPA-H and remind us that we can do big things like end cancer as we know it,” Biden said.

Since Biden took office, he has spoken about the climate crisis. Biden said the U.S. is using technology to cutting carbon emissions in half by 2030, and his administration is taking the “most significant action on climate ever in the history of the world.” He also highlighted the Climate Corps, modeled after AmeriCorps and Peace Corps, which has put 20,000 young Americans to ensure a clean energy future.

“We are also making history by confronting the climate crisis, not denying it. Creating tens of thousands of clean-energy jobs, like the IBEW workers building and installing 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations. Conserving 30% of America’s lands and waters by 2030,” Biden said.

“To lead America, the land of possibilities, you need a vision for the future and what can and should be done.”