Who Followed the Blueprint? Analyzing the Responses of U.S. Federal Agencies to the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights
This research assesses the real-world impact of a major U.S. policy framework on AI ethics governance, revealing it had minimal effect on federal agencies in its first year.
This study analyzed how U.S. federal agencies responded to the 2022 Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, finding limited direct influence: only 5 of 15 departments explicitly mentioned it, and while 12 took steps aligned with its principles, these often predated or were disconnected from the Blueprint.
This study examines the extent to which U.S. federal agencies responded to and implemented the principles outlined in the White House's October 2022 "Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights." The Blueprint provided a framework for the ethical governance of artificial intelligence systems, organized around five core principles: safety and effectiveness, protection against algorithmic discrimination, data privacy, notice and explanation about AI systems, and human alternatives and fallback. Through an analysis of publicly available records across 15 federal departments, the authors found limited evidence that the Blueprint directly influenced agency actions after its release. Only five departments explicitly mentioned the Blueprint, while 12 took steps aligned with one or more of its principles. However, much of this work appeared to have precedents predating the Blueprint or motivations disconnected from it, such as compliance with prior executive orders on trustworthy AI. Departments' activities often emphasized priorities like safety, accountability and transparency that overlapped with Blueprint principles, but did not necessarily stem from it. The authors conclude that the non-binding Blueprint seems to have had minimal impact on shaping the U.S. government's approach to ethical AI governance in its first year. Factors like public concerns after high-profile AI releases and obligations to follow direct executive orders likely carried more influence over federal agencies. More rigorous study would be needed to definitively assess the Blueprint's effects within the federal bureaucracy and broader society.