On May 3 the White House announced that the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) will host a series of 4 workshops on factors related to the development of artificial intelligence (AI). As Deputy Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten describes in the White House blog, the workshops are intended to identify challenges and opportunities in this area of technology.
Each of the four conferences are open to the public, and will be available to watch live over video. The dates, places, and emphases of each workshop are:
- May 24, Seattle, Washington: Legal and Governance Implications of Artificial Intelligence
- June 7, Washington, D.C.: Artificial Intelligence for Social Good
- June 28, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Safety and Control for Artificial Intelligence
- July 7, New York City: The Social and Economic Implications of Artificial Intelligence in the Near Term
At the moment there aren’t many details for these workshops. Some of them do list a few confirmed participants, primarily academic researchers. More details should be forthcoming, including information indicating that researchers and practitioners from universities, industry and governments will be involved. Hopefully those involved with skeptical AI research like OpenAI will be able (and feel inclined) to participate in this process.
The government is particularly interested in how to utilize AI and machine learning in providing government services. They have formed a Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council (comprised of the OSTP Director, the Vice President, and Cabinet Secretaries and agency heads with science and technology portfolios), which will first meet next week.
Pasco Phronesis 