KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — President Joe Biden signed an executive order this week that aims to manage the risk of artificial intelligence. But how could those efforts affect our everyday lives?

Kuanchin Chen, a professor of computer information systems at Western Michigan University, said the executive order is a big first step toward addressing the ongoing evolution of AI.

“It’s more encompassing that covers more of the consumer market, individual workers and education, even,” he explained.

From devices and shopping experiences to self-driving cars, Biden’s executive order looks to add guardrails and safety standards to the ever-changing nature of AI. Part of the guidance requires companies developing AI models that pose security or public health risks to notify the feds while training it and share all safety test results.

“You are to show us (the feds) the process, to show us the data, to show us how you test those systems so that you won’t hurt the people,” Chen explained.

The order also directs federal agencies to develop techniques so AI can be trained while preserving data privacy. For example, it would address how facial recognition algorithms are developed to also help lower the chances of the wrong person being detected.

“Regular citizens have no way to tell that you have been linking the two pictures all together, thinking that they are the same criminal, same guy, but in reality, they are not,” Chen said. “How do you protect that from happening?”

Others include providing guidance to landlords, federal contractors and federal benefits programs to keep AI algorithms from discrimination, which Chen said can be expanded into job applications in the general workforce.

“It goes further down into the substance level,” he continued. “We’re talking about AI governance. We’re talking about how we are going to capitalize AI to innovate and how we’re going to work with international partners.”

Since AI is evolving every day, Chen said it’s worth wondering whether the executive order be applicable in five or 10 years. Still, he said, this is a start.

“It sets the direction and the vision of our AI strategy and how multiple government agencies can actually work together to establish the best practice and guidelines,” he explained. “These were the things that were much needed for a long, long time.”