WASHINGTON – As credit unions and CUSOs continue to turn to artificial intelligence (AI) to improve numerous solutions, the Commerce Department announced it has established a high-level committee to advise the President and other federal agencies on a range of issues related to AI.
Working with the National AI Initiative Office (NAIIO) in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the Department said it is now seeking to recruit top-level candidates to serve on the committee.
A formal notice describing the National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee (NAIAC) and the call for nominations for the committee and its Subcommittee on Artificial Intelligence and Law Enforcement has been published in the Federal Register.
‘Enormous Opportunity’
“AI presents an enormous opportunity to tackle the biggest issues of our time, strengthen our technological competitiveness, and be an engine for growth in nearly every sector of the economy,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “But we must be thoughtful, creative, and wise in how we address the challenges that accompany these new technologies. That includes, but is not limited to, ensuring that President Biden’s comprehensive commitment to advancing equity and racial justice extends to our development and use of AI technology. This committee will help the federal government to do that by providing insights into a full range of issues raised by AI.”
The department noted the National AI Initiative Act of 2020 calls for the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy and other department officials, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and the Director of National Intelligence, to establish the NAIAC.
Topics Being Examined
The committee is to provide recommendations on topics including the current state of:
- U.S. AI competitiveness
- Progress in implementing the initiative
- The state of science around AI
- Issues related to AI workforce, including barriers to employment supporting opportunities for historically underrepresented populations
- How to leverage initiative resources
- The need to update the initiative
- The balance of activities and funding across the initiative
- The adequacy of the National AI R&D Strategic Plan
- Management, coordination, and activities of the initiative
- Adequacy of addressing societal issues
- Opportunities for international cooperation
- Issues related to accountability and legal rights
- How AI can enhance opportunities for diverse geographic regions.
The Members
According to the Commerce Department, the NAIAC will consist of expert leaders from a broad and interdisciplinary range of AI-relevant disciplines from across academia, industry, non-profits and civil society, and federal laboratories.