Bridging the Resource Divide for Artificial Intelligence Research

By: Lynne Parker, Deputy United States Chief Technology Officer and Director of the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Office

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming our world. The field is an engine of innovation that is already driving scientific discovery, economic growth, and new jobs. AI is an integral component of solutions ranging from those that tackle routine daily tasks to societal-level challenges, while also giving rise to new challenges necessitating further study and action. Most Americans already interact with AI-based systems on a daily basis, such as those that help us find the best routes to work and school, select the items we buy, and ask our phones to remind us of upcoming appointments.

Once studied by few, AI courses are now among the most popular across America’s universities. AI-based companies are being founded and scaled at a rapid rate. Worldwide AI-related research publications and patent applications continue to climb. 

However, this growth in the importance of AI to our future and the size of the AI community obscures the reality that the pathways to participate in AI research and development (R&D) often remain limited to those with access to certain essential resources. Progress at the current frontiers of AI is often tied to the use of large volumes of advanced computational power and data, and access to those resources today is too often limited to large technology companies and well-resourced universities. Consequently, the breadth of ideas and perspectives incorporated into AI innovations can be limited and lead to the creation of systems that perpetuate biases and other systemic inequalities.

This growing resource divide has the potential to adversely skew our AI research ecosystem, and in the process, threaten our Nation’s ability to cultivate an AI research community and workforce that reflects America’s rich diversity – and harness AI in a manner that serves all Americans. To prevent unintended consequences or disparate impacts from the use of AI, it matters who is doing the AI research and development.

Established in June 2021 pursuant to the National AI Initiative Act of 2020, the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) Task Force has been seeking to address this resource divide. As a Congressionally-chartered Federal advisory committee, the NAIRR Task Force has been developing a plan for the establishment of a National AI Research Resource that would democratize access to AI R&D for America’s researchers and students. The NAIRR is envisioned as a broadly available and federated collection of resources, including computational infrastructure, public- and private-sector data, and testbeds. These resources would be made easily accessible in a manner that protects privacy, with accompanying educational tools and user support to facilitate their use. An important element of the NAIRR will be the expertise to design, deploy, federate, and operate these resources.

Since its establishment, the Task Force has held 7 public meetings, engaged with 39 experts on a wide range of aspects related to the design of the NAIRR, and considered 84 responses from the public to a request for information (RFI). Materials from all public meetings and responses to the RFI can be found at www.AI.gov/nairrtf.

Today, as co-chair of the Task Force and as part of OSTP’s broader work to advance the responsible research, development, and use of AI, I am proud to announce the submission of the interim report of the NAIRR Task Force to the President and Congress. This report lays out a vision for how this national cyberinfrastructure could be structured, designed, operated, and governed to meet the needs of America’s research community. In the report, the Task Force presents an approach to establishing the NAIRR that builds on existing and future Federal investments; designs in protections for privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties; and promotes diversity and equitable access. It details how the NAIRR should support the full spectrum of AI research – from foundational to use-inspired to translational – by providing opportunities for students and researchers to access resources that would otherwise be out of their reach. The vision laid out in this interim report is the first step towards a more equitable future for AI R&D in America – a future where innovation can flourish and the promise of AI can be realized in a way that works for all Americans.

Going forward, the Task Force will develop a roadmap for achieving the vision defined in the interim report. This implementation roadmap is planned for release as the final report of the Task Force at the end of this year. To inform this work, we are asking for feedback from the public on the findings and recommendations presented in the interim report as well as how those recommendations could be effectively implemented. Public responses to this request for information will be accepted through June 30, 2022. In addition, OSTP and the National Science Foundation will host a public listening session on June 23 to provide additional means for public input. Please see here for more information on how to participate.

If successful, the NAIRR would transform the U.S. national AI research ecosystem by strengthening and democratizing foundational, use-inspired, and translational AI R&D in the United States. The interim report of the NAIRR Task Force being released today represents a first step towards this future, putting forward a vision for the NAIRR for public comment and feedback.

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