The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has issued new guidance for federal agencies looking to acquire artificial intelligence solutions.

The newly anticipated memorandum on responsible AI acquisition in government instructs U.S. agencies to implement measures for managing risks, fostering competition, and facilitating information sharing within the executive branch.

“The use of AI in the Federal Government presents tremendous opportunity for modernizing agency operations and improving the delivery of government services to the public. Realizing this goal involves recognizing that AI poses novel types of risk, and proactively integrating considerations for AI risk management into agency acquisition planning. This memorandum builds on previous efforts to harness the power and utility of AI in service of agency missions while protecting the public from potential risks or harms,” the memo reads.

The memo further states that any AI acquisition by a federal agency will be treated as an IT acquisition.