SIOP in Washington: Advocating for I-O in Federal Public Policy

Amanda Bruno, Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC

Since July 2013, SIOP and Lewis-Burke Associates LLC have collaborated to make I-O science and research accessible to federal and congressional policy makers. SIOP has embedded a foundational government relations infrastructure within the organization, enabling SIOP to develop an authoritative voice as a stakeholder in science policy in Washington, DC and to promote SIOP as a vital resource for evidence-based decision making.

SIOP Hosts Webinar for DOJ COPS Office Awardees

GREAT Chair Kristin Saboe and members of SIOP’s Policing Initiative presented a webinar on “Utilizing Science-Based Practices to Enhance Police Recruiting and Hiring” for grantees of the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). The webinar, part of the efforts around SIOP’s ongoing memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the COPS Office, featured members of the Policing Initiative sharing practices grounded in I-O research and how they can be used in law enforcement recruitment and retention. The webinar was followed by a robust question and answer session, with attendees demonstrating significant interest and appetite for additional information on I-O psychology. The SIOP Policing Initiative continues to identify additional opportunities to translate I-O research into practice and embed I-O principles into state and local law enforcement agencies across the country.

White House Issues Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence to Drive Innovation While Reducing Risks

On October 30, President Biden issued Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence. The executive order is an attempt to develop a more comprehensive, whole-of-government approach to drive innovation in artificial intelligence (AI) applications while managing risks, especially in national security, public health and safety, and job displacement. The executive order does not launch major or new initiatives but clarifies roles and responsibilities across federal agencies and requires federal agencies to develop more detailed implementation plans over the next several months. The release of the executive order coincided with the first ever Global AI Safety Summit hosted by the UK government, at which 28 governments, including the US, signed up to the Bletchley Declaration on AI safety research. Specific provisions in the executive order address AI’s potential harms and benefits to employees’ well-being, AI-related collection and use of employee data, nondiscrimination in hiring involving AI and other technology-based systems, training law enforcement on responsible use of AI, and federal hiring flexibilities to recruit individuals with expertise in AI and data science.

SIOP had engaged with the development of the executive order by responding to a Request for Information (RFI) from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). The RFI, “National Priorities for Artificial Intelligence,” sought feedback on safe deployment of AI, impacts to national security, equity considerations, economic benefits and harms, and other broad topics. SIOP’s response referenced the Principles for the Validation and Use of Personnel Selection Procedures and the Considerations and Recommendations for the Validation and Use of AI-Based Assessments for Employee Selection and focused on the need for AI-based systems to meet the same standards for traditional hiring and assessment systems.