The National Labor Relations Board has named David Gaston the agency’s first chief artificial intelligence officer, according to a Thursday announcement.
Gaston will oversee the agency’s efforts to advance AI governance and innovation and manage its risks. He also will maintain his current roles as assistant general counsel and the agency’s branch chief of e-litigation, where he heads NLRB strategy on information policy and on developing tools to use electronically stored information in legal proceedings.
Prior to the NLRB, Gaston worked as a special assistant U.S. attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice, an attorney advisor at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and in the private sector.
“[Gaston] has ably led the development and execution of information policy and litigation strategy for seven years at this Agency and for nearly 15 years in the federal government. His expertise will allow the NLRB to move forward strategically in the area of AI,” General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo said in a statement.
Gaston earned a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School and two bachelor of arts degrees from the University of Georgia.
The creation of the chief AI officer role is tied to the Office of Management and Budget’s March memorandum on compliance with regulatory requirements in AI, NLRB said. The memorandum cites President Joe Biden’s October 2023 executive order on the “safe, secure, and trustworthy” development and use of artificial intelligence that, among other directives, required all federal agencies to name someone to oversee the use of AI.
