White House National S&T Council Addresses Future Artificial Intelligence R&D, Public Policy

As artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to become an increasingly large contributor to future U.S. economic growth, policymakers must be thoughtful about the technology’s implications related to federal R&D strategy, societal benefits, and public policy, according to two recently released reports authored by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Subcommittee on Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. Preparing for the Future of Artificial Intelligence describes: how AI technology can help to advance social good and improve the way government operates; how regulations that affect AI technologies can be adapted to encourage innovation while simultaneously protecting the public interest; how to best ensure how AI applications can be fair, safe, and governable; and, the importance of developing a skilled workforce around AI technology. The report is accompanied by a National Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Strategic Plan, which outlines the government’s role in funding AI R&D.

Among the many issues identified in the Preparing for the Future of Artificial Intelligence report is the impact of AI technology on jobs and the economy, though the authors recognize that the depth of these topics are beyond the report’s scope. The authors of both reports recommend that the White House convene a study on automation and the economy, to result in a follow-on public report that would be released by the end of this year. Beyond boosting productivity across many sectors, the authors recognize the potential for AI to eliminate or lower wages in some jobs, especially those requiring low- and medium-skills. In these instances, the authors note that policy will likely be needed to ensure that inequality is not exacerbated by AI technology. 

To support the future AI workforce, the authors note that educational institutions, (e.g., K-12 schools, universities, and community colleges) are critical to developing employees who are adequately trained to work with AI. This workforce, according to the report, includes: researchers, who develop fundamental advances in AI; specialists, who refine AI methods for specific applications; and, users, who operate applications in specific settings. Additionally, the authors note that there is a need to integrate AI into the president’s Computer Science for All initiative as a means to prepare the future workforce. Data science education at the K-12 level can help improve “data literacy” across the nation and prepare students for more advanced data science concepts, according to the report.

The National Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Strategic Plan highlights the unique role of federal government as the primary source for funding long-term, high-risk research initiatives that focus on societal issues that private industry, for whichever reason, is unwilling to perform. Overall, the U.S. government spent approximately $1.1 billion on unclassified research and development related to artificial intelligence technology in 2015. As a way of ensuring that the U.S. remains a global leader in AI technology, the R&D plan includes seven strategies:

• Make long-term investments in AI research, by prioritizing investments in the next generation of AI that will drive discovery and insight;
• Develop effective methods for human-AI collaboration, so that AI systems will collaborate with humans to achieve optimal performance rather than replacing them;
• Understand and address the ethical, legal, and societal implications of AI;
• Ensure the safety and security of AI systems, so that AI systems are reliable, dependable, and trustworthy prior to their widespread use;
• Develop shared public datasets and environments for AI training and testing, because the depth, quality, and accuracy of training datasets and resources significantly affects AI performance;
• Measure and evaluate AI technologies through standards and benchmarks, so that community engagement can guide and evaluate progress in AI; and,
• Better understand the national AI R&D workforce needs, to help ensure that sufficient AI experts are available to address the strategic R&D areas outlined, and to avoid increasing inequalities.  

While recent advancements in artificial intelligence are cause for excitement, especially around areas such as machine learning, the ultimate direction and implications of these technologies and the role they will have on society and public policy are worthy of additional research, according to the NSTC subcommittee. As the authors of Preparing for the Future Artificial Intelligence note, “The best way to build capacity for addressing the longer-term speculative risks [associated with AI] is to attack the less extreme risks already seen today, such as current security, privacy, and safety risks, while investing in research on longer-term capabilities and how their challenges might be managed.” In addition to considering technological implications associated with AI, the authors suggest policymakers should be certain to consider the long-term societal and ethical ramifications.

Read Preparing for the Future of Artificial Intelligence here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/whitehouse_files/microsites/ostp/NSTC/preparing_for_the_future_of_ai.pdf

Read the National Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Strategic Plan here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/whitehouse_files/microsites/ostp/NSTC/national_ai_rd_strategic_plan.pdf