The Biden administration on Tuesday called for public input as it works to develop a national strategy governing artificial intelligence.

Officials are attempting to walk a tightrope between advancing innovation related to the seemingly boundless technology while preventing its potential harms.

AI could help revolutionize everything from internet searches to scientific research. But critics warn it also could take people’s jobs, result in a flood of misinformation or worse — Geoffrey Hinton, a pioneering AI computer scientist, recently warned of the potential of a world with autonomous weapons.

The national AI strategy “will chart a path for the United States to harness the benefits and mitigate the risks of AI,” the Office of Science and Technology Policy said in its request for pubic comment, issued Tuesday.

The agency is inviting individuals and organizations to submit their input by July 7 through regulations.gov that could help the Biden administration craft its strategy.

The federal government already has been working on a number of initiatives related to artificial intelligence, including funding research in what it calls “responsible AI” and working to maintain global competitiveness by banning exports to China of high-end computer chips used to build AI. The U.S. is also working on a strategy for responsible AI use in national defense.

And on Tuesday, the Biden administration updated its national AI research and development plan. The plan reaffirms eight previously announced strategies, including making long-term investments in responsible AI research; addressing the ethical, legal and societal impact of artificial intelligence; and ensuring the safety and security of AI systems.

A ninth strategy was added Tuesday to establish a coordinated approach to international collaboration in AI research.

Also Tuesday, the Education Department released a report addressing the need for sharing knowledge and developing policies for AI in education. 

The report noted that educators seek technology-enhanced approaches but that AI also can result in cheating or amplify biases. 

The report recommends that use of AI tools must be safe and effective for students, include protections against algorithmic discrimination and protect data privacy. It stresses that humans — teachers, students and others — should remain “in the loop,” retaining a voice in the direction education applications take.

On May 4, the Biden administration announced a $140 million investment to establish seven new AI research institutes. 

The same day Vice President Kamala Harris met with the CEOs of Google, Microsoft, Anthropic and OpenAI to discuss the risks in artificial intelligence development. 

“AI is one of today’s most powerful technologies, with the potential to improve people’s lives and tackle some of society’s biggest challenges,” Harris said in a statement after the meeting. “At the same time, AI has the potential to dramatically increase threats to safety and security, infringe civil rights and privacy, and erode public trust and faith in democracy.”

Last week, executives with OpenAI and IBM told a Senate subcommittee they support government regulation of AI. 

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said he believes the tools developed and deployed by his company “vastly outweigh the risks, but ensuring their safety is vital to our work.”

“If this technology goes wrong, it can go quite wrong,” he said.