The White House has launched a website to provide official updates about the US government’s National AI Initiative.
On January 1, 2021, the National AI Initiative Act of 2020 (PDF) became law. The act mandates a coordinated effort across the federal government to accelerate the research, and adoption, of AI technologies.
The new AI.gov website provides a central resource for the public to learn how artificial intelligence is being used across the US to help tackle issues such as climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and security threats.
News articles from leading federal executives, such as Deputy United States Chief Technology Officer Lynne Parker, are featured on the site. Reputable publications are also hosted including strategy documents, ethical principles, and international declarations such as the US–UK AI R&D cooperation agreement.
“This is a resource that will enable researchers from all over the country to have access to both the computing and the data that they need in order to do cutting edge research,” Parker told Axios.
Providing such a resource should help to build trust from a public concerned about AI governance challenges.
“The US has long been a champion and defender of the core values of freedom, guarantees of human rights, individual dignity, the rule of law, rights to privacy, respect for intellectual property, and opportunities for all to pursue their dreams,” the White House wrote on the new website.
“The AI technologies the Nation develops and uses must reflect these fundamental values and be devoted to helping people. The US values collaborations with global allies to achieve these goals.”
America is keen to retain its global leadership in AI. In July 2017, The State Council of China released the “New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan” to build a domestic AI industry worth around $150 billion over the next few years and to become the leading AI power by 2030.
At the end of 2019, figures from ABI Research suggested that the US reclaimed the top spot for AI investments from China after losing its lead the year prior. ABI expects the US to reach a 70 percent share of global AI investments.
“America’s decades-long leadership in AI research and development (R&D) has resulted in cutting-edge, transformative technologies that are improving lives, growing innovative industries, empowering workers, and increasing national security,” the AI.gov website says.
Six key pillars are listed on the website to make the US’ AI strategy a success: innovation, advancing trustworthy AI, education and training, infrastructure, applications, and international cooperation.
The National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Office (NAIIO), located in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), is running the AI.gov website.
You can access the White House’s new AI website here.
(Photo by Louis Velazquez on Unsplash)
